As Time Went By
by SuzyH82
Summary: When Gibbs discovers Tony and Ziva have broken 'Rule No.12', Tony gets transferred to running his own team in Rota, Spain. Slightly AU and set 5 years later, when Tony and Ziva must work together again when a case crosses both their paths.
1. Concept & Prologue

**Hi guys, to fill the void while I wait for season 7 to begin, I decided to write another story. It's slightly different, and slightly AU but because it's me, it's filled with angst. ;) Please feel free to post some feedback to let me know whether or not I should continue.**

**As Time Went By…**

The Concept

Tony gets offered a promotion, leading his own team in Rota, Spain; the same job he turned down a few years ago. He takes the job, leaving Washington and a broken hearted Ziva behind. 5 years later, when a dead Mossad officer washes up with a dead navy Seal he comes face to face with Ziva, who is now the Director of Mossad's European Affairs, and finds everything has changed…except one thing, his feelings for Ziva. However, Tony already has a fiancée ready to walk down the aisle and Ziva has her own secrets, involving Tony's senior field agent. Why did Tony leave Washington 5 years ago? And why did he not stay in touch with the team? All will hopefully be revealed…

Main Characters 

**Tony Dinozzo, 44:** Tony has been the team leader of his own team in Rota, Spain for the last five years and has settled in quickly to Spanish life, including becoming engaged to local girl Carmela. When he bumps into Ziva, he suddenly realises what he's been missing but is it too late to find happiness?

**Ziva David, 33: **When Tony left Washington; Ziva remained for two years before being lured back to Mossad. Now Ziva's in charge of Mossad's European operatives and has changed as a result. Unlike Tony, she is still in touch with the NCIS gang back in Washington. When she meets Tony, she's determined not to give into her old feelings; she has moved on…or at least that's what she thinks.

**Arielle 'Elle' Cohen, 27: **Arielle, or 'Elle' is Ziva's official assistant although Ziva treats her like a partner. Elle is a human chameleon and has many sides to her; she's an assassin, investigator, computer whiz, forensic scientist and most of all, a loyal friend to Ziva. She knows all about Ziva's past with Tony.

**Garrett Finley, 32: **Garrett is American, a serial womaniser and the senior field agent of Tony's team. He constantly clashes with fellow team member and 'probie' Kendall Hickey but has great investigative skills and is the weapons expert on the team. He has a past with Ziva.

**Kendall Hickey, 25:** Hardnosed but slightly innocent Kendall, originally from England, only joined Tony's team a year ago. She is the profiler of the team, as well as the I.T. whiz and sketch artist, with amazing attention to detail, thanks to her photographic memory.

**Milo Sanchez, 29: **Spanish Milo is the Medical Examiner and forensic analyst of Tony's team. He's extremely easy going.

**Carmela Lopez, 26: **Local girl Carmela met Tony on the night of her 25th birthday and hasn't been without him since. They got engaged within 6 months of meeting and they are set to get married within the next few months. Has she finally cured commitment phobic Tony?

**Hari Bishon, 34: **Mossad Control Agent Hari is one of Ziva's closest allies, having shared her childhood but Tony can't help but feel intimidated by their close relationship, unaware that Hari is gay.

Guest Characters

**Timothy McGee, 36:** Once the 'Probie', McGee is now the senior field agent of Gibbs' team and is happily married to Abby for the last three years, with a 2 year old daughter called Tabitha Ziva McGee and another child on the way.

**Abby Sciuto-McGee, 34:** Abby is still the forensic scientist at the NCIS headquarters in D.C. but not for long as she'll soon be heading on maternity leave for her second child with husband Timothy McGee. She already has one daughter – Tabitha Ziva McGee – whose honorary Godparents are Gibbs and Ziva.

**Leroy Jethro Gibbs, 57:** The leader of his own team in Washington, Gibbs relaxed his 'Rule number 12' after the fall out from Tony's promotion to let two team members (McGee and Abby) finally give into their love.

Prologue

_5 years ago…Tony's apartment_

Tony sat on his sofa, cradling an opened, but full bottle of beer in his hands; his head, resting against the cushion, staring at the ceiling. He had been sitting there the last 30 minutes, processing earlier conversations with both Gibbs and the Director.

_Tony and Gibbs stood before Director Vance's desk in his office, where Vance sat. "My own team?" Tony muttered. "In Spain?"_

_"You're more than ready Tony." Director Vance stated. "This is the second time this opportunity has come up for you but it will be the last if you don't accept it."_

_Tony looked over at his boss. "It's a good opportunity Dinozzo." Gibbs simply stated. "And the Director is right, it'll not happen again. You're getting a second chance, most agents don't get that."_

_"But Spain?" Tony questioned._

_"Tony, is there a reason you're reluctant to leave Washington?" Director Vance asked._

_"Well I…" Tony stuttered. Yes, he did have a reason to stay; and she was down in the bullpen waiting for him; his partner and more recently, his secret lover Ziva. He couldn't tell Gibbs or Vance this; they were, after all, breaking the rules. "I guess…no."_

_"Good." Director Vance said. "Your flight leaves Thursday."_

_"Thursday?" Tony spat in shock._

_"Tony, things move fast in Europe, we need you there now." Director Vance stated._

_"Right." Tony muttered._

_"You can go now." Director Vance ordered._

_Tony just simply nodded his head and followed Gibbs out of the office. He glanced at his boss; he was remarkably quiet for just hearing he was losing his senior field agent. "Gibbs, doesn't this seem a little fast?" Tony finally said. "I mean, I barely have time to pack, never mind say my goodbyes."_

_"They're your orders Tony, you have to follow them." Gibbs simply answered._

_"But…" Tony began to protest._

_"No buts Dinozzo!" Gibbs snapped, spinning around to face Tony; taking him by surprise. "What did you think would happen when you broke the rules?"_

_"I didn't break any rules!" Tony argued._

_"Oh really?" Gibbs scoffed. Tony followed his gaze, towards McGee's desk below, where Ziva was standing, laughing at something McGee was saying._

_"That I can explain…" Tony began._

_"Tony, save it!" Gibbs spat. "I was trying to save you two a lot of hurt but no, you couldn't stick to one simple rule!"_

_"And who is going to save her from the hurt of me leaving?" Tony asked, his gaze drifting between Ziva and Gibbs._

_"She's better getting a little hurt now rather than 6 months down the line when you decide you're bored playing house!" Gibbs barked._

_"I wouldn't…get bored." Tony stated, his voice faltering slightly at the end._

_"Please Dinozzo, this is you we're talking about." Gibbs scoffed._

_"Hey!" Tony argued but he gave up the fight when he saw the look in Gibbs eyes. He knew Gibbs was right; he'd probably hurt Ziva sooner or later. "So um, do I just walk away and say nothing?"_

_"That's your choice." Gibbs retorted and headed down the steps towards the bullpen._

"Some choice." Tony muttered, finally lowering his head to stare at the now warm beer in his hands.

His apartment door opened, revealing Ziva, carrying a large pepperoni pizza and interrupted his thoughts. "Tony, I know Little Joe's is your favourite pizzeria but those queues…I was waiting for 50 minutes." She simply stated.

Tony looked over at her and couldn't help but smile. She was wearing jeans and a simple white tee. Her long dark hair was straight and tied back, exposing her red, flustered face.

"But it's worth the wait, I promise." He stated, finally getting up off the sofa to take the pizza from her. He took the pizza from her, ignoring the offer of her cheek for a quick kiss and carried the pizza into the kitchen.

"So things looked very intense between you and Gibbs after your meeting with the director." Ziva said, trying to brush off the fact that Tony avoided giving her a peck on her cheek. "Is there anything I should know?"

"What do you mean?" Tony asked as pulled off a slice of pizza and sat down at the breakfast bar.

"I thought, maybe Gibbs had discovered our little secret." Ziva replied, resting her hands on the breakfast bar.

Tony scoffed nervously. "Of course not." He managed to reply.

"So what did the director want?" Ziva asked, her eyes watching Tony.

He put down the pizza and began to clean his hands on a napkin. "I um…I've been offered a promotion." Tony finally answered.

"Oh, Tony!" Ziva squealed as she embraced him for a hug, the pride she felt radiating through her smile.

"Yep…I've been given my own team…in Spain." Tony managed to spit out.

"Wait! Spain?" Ziva asked, pulling back, her eyes filled with questions.

"Yep, I leave in a few days." Tony answered breezily, trying to ignore his rapid heartbeat.

"A few days?" Ziva spat.

"Yeah I know…it's pretty quick but things move fast there." Tony said, getting up off the stool at the breakfast bar and heading towards the sink. He was doing everything he could to avoid Ziva's eyes.

"Tony, when were you going to talk to me about this?" Ziva asked, following him.

"Well since you brought it up…I guess now." Tony answered, getting himself a drink of water. "Although, there really isn't anything to talk about…the decision's made…I'm heading to Spain."

"Just like that?" Ziva asked. "Without even thinking what this means for us?"

"What us Ziva? The team?" Tony asked, still refusing to look at her. He knew what he meant but he was desperately trying to deflect the question.

"No Tony…I meant us…and the fact we have been sleeping together for the two months!" Ziva snapped, grabbing his shoulder, forcing him to turn around and face her. "I thought you would consider us before you would make such a decision."

"C'mon Zee, you know me and you was just a little fun." Tony retorted, trying to do the best lying of his life. "I mean…this is my career we're talking about." He cringed as he saw tears forming in Ziva's eyes; a rarity for Ziva. It was breaking his heart to see her like this but it had to be done.

"Fun…we were just fun." Ziva quietly muttered, her head down.

"C'mon Ziva…I thought you understood how things were with us." Tony said. "I mean…it's me."

"Oh, I understand completely!" Ziva hissed as she finally looked up. The tears had now disappeared from her eyes; replaced by a steely glare. "A cheetah never changes his spots."

"It's leopard actually." Tony couldn't help but correct.

"Same difference!" Ziva barked. She began walking towards the door. Tony felt the need to follow.

"Look Zee, you really were my best partner." He stated, trying to do some damage control as Ziva opened the door. "I really hope we can stay friends."

Ziva scoffed and spun around to face him. "Friends?" She laughed. She shook her head and looked him straight in the eye. "I would not treat my worst enemies the way you treated me. I hate you Tony Dinozzo."

At that, Ziva stepped out of the apartment and slammed the door behind her. Tony fell against the closed door, his actions now hitting him as a few tears built up in his eyes. "Yeah, well I love you Ziva David." He quietly muttered.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**First chapter preview…It's five years into the future**

**Please let me know what you think. I know the prologue was a bit slow moving (and slightly out of character) but it was needed to create the history I need when the story finally jumps into the future. So, shall I keep going? **


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! Thanks for all the reviews! I wasn't expecting 15 reviews for a concept and prologue but I'm not complaining. I loved readng your thoughts and encouragement, so much so that I wrote this next chapter. I hope you enjoy and please leave a review. All feedback, good or bad, is welcome. **

**Chapter 1**

_Five Years Later…Santa Maria, Spain_

Arielle Cohen, slipped the key card in the lock and pressed down the door handle when the red light turned green. She pushed open the door and stepped into a luxurious sitting room, decorated tastefully in cream; with an equally tastefully decorated terracotta kitchenette to the left, along with a coffee coloured bedroom and small white bathroom. To the right, was the luxurious beige master bedroom, with an equally luxurious white ensuite bathroom.

Arielle was about 5 foot 9, with a tall, tanned, athletic body. She had large sparkling blue eyes, full red lips and two large dimples, one in each cheek. Her hair was long, light brown, with golden highlights and sat in natural loose bouncy curls. She wasn't the normal 'Israeli' beauty. She was often mistaken as Italian or Spanish, very rarely Israeli. She was wearing a short soft pink cotton skirt, a white halter-top with a soft pink trim and white 3 inch wedged sandals.

She sat the mail, newspaper and the two cups of coffee she was carrying on the coffee table before sitting down on the sofa herself. She lifted one of the coffees off the table and began drinking it, while her other hand reached for the newspaper to begin reading it.

Within a few seconds, Ziva stepped out of the master bedroom and headed towards Arielle, pulling her long dark hair into a rough bun. She was wearing a short white silk robe. Over the years, Ziva had not changed, apart from the very faint lines beginning to appear on her face; a small reminder she was now in her thirties.

"Is your visitor away?" Arielle asked, not even looking up from her paper. She balanced the paper on her knee and handed Ziva the other coffee.

"Yes Elle, he is." Ziva replied, a smirk appearing on her lips as the memories of the night before quickly flashed through her mind. She accepted the coffee and sat on the arm of the sofa.

"So, will he be here tonight?" Arielle asked, finally looking up from her newspaper.

Ziva scoffed. "Arielle, of course not…it is against the rules." She simply answered.

"Oh yeah, you can't spend two nights in a row with the same guy." Arielle muttered.

"Exactly, it might give him the wrong idea." Ziva retorted. "Anyway, I was thinking I would phone that guy we met at lunch yesterday."

Arielle rolled her eyes in response. "Oh Elle, relax…we are on vacation." Ziva stated.

"Ziva, the Director of European Affairs is never on vacation." Arielle responded. She tossed a cell phone at Ziva, who caught the phone. "Six missed called from the embassy should tell you that."

Ziva inwardly groaned. "So much for my vacation." She muttered.

* * *

_Rota, Spain…Naval Base…NCIS Headquarters…the bullpen…0730_

Tony Dinozzo strode into the bullpen, an iced latte in one hand, a file in the other. He was wearing a crisp white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of sunglasses tucked in the front pocket and cream trousers. His skin was tanned, with a few extra lines around his eyes and he now had a few grey hairs at his temples.

He looked at the two desks occupied by his agents; they were empty. "Where the hell are my agents?" He asked himself, already reaching for his cell phone as he sat behind his desk. "Ken, where the hell are you and Finley?" He barked into the cell phone.

"Sorry boss." A cold, English female voice answered. "I came in early and decided to go to the gym for a work out."

"Well get your ass…" Tony began to say as his eyes slowly looked up to reveal a woman standing before him, wearing grey NCIS shorts and a matching grey sweaty vest top before him. She was about 5 foot 7, with long legs, a thin but shapely body, large grey eyes, full pink lips, perfectly defined cheekbones and long luscious red hair that was pinned up in a rough bun. "Morning Kendall."

"I'm so sorry boss." Kendall apologised. "I thought I would have time to work out and take a shower before you arrived."

"It's fine Kendall." Tony replied. "Just take one now, saying Finley can't even turn up in time."

Kendall nodded and grabbed her towel. She began heading towards the locker room again. As she passed the elevator, the door opened to reveal a tall, athletic built man with a strong jaw line, green eyes and short blonde hair. He was dressed in dark jeans and a short sleeved, light blue button down shirt. He was desperately trying to put his gun into his holster and clip his badge onto his belt as he stepped out of the elevator that he didn't notice Kendall before him. He crashed into her, sending both of them tumbling to the floor in a heap.

"Thanks for breaking my fall Probie." The man stated, clambering to his feet, ignoring Kendall hand; requesting help up.

"You're late Garrett!" Kendall hissed, displaying her ample cleavage as she pulled herself up off the floor. Garrett couldn't help but notice it.

"Yeah, I um, had a late night." He stated, his eyes focused on her breasts.

"Ugh!" Kendall groaned as she pushed him. "You disgust me!" She walked away towards the locker room again.

"Ah, such a waste." Garrett sighed as she walked away, his eyes fixed to her bum. His cell phone began to ring. He quickly answered it. "On your six boss." He stated, not giving Tony the chance to speak. He rushed into the bullpen.

"Nice of you to come in Finley!" Tony snapped sarcastically as Garrett slipped into his desk.

"Sorry boss but I kinda had an eventful night." Garrett replied. "I was with this super hot chick…I think she is Italian and the best thing is, she's on vacation…the perfect 'booty call' candidate."

"Ah, the 'booty call', God! How I miss those days!" Tony sighed, completely forgetting that he was meant to be annoyed at his senior agent.

"Yeah, well I tried to stop you but no, you had to go and get engaged." Garrett stated.

"Hey, I had to grow up sometime." Tony replied. "And if I have to marry someone then Carmela is it…I'll not get anyone better."

"How romantic!" Garrett muttered.

"Your day will come Finley." Tony responded. "You can't stay a playboy forever. God knows I tried."

* * *

_The Israeli Embassy…Spain_

Ziva stood in an office, wearing a lemon sundress and white flip-flops. Her long dark hair hung down, in loose bouncy curls. A pair of sunglasses was resting on top of her head.

Before her, sitting behind a desk was a handsome Israeli man, also in his early thirties. He was tall, with short dark hair, extremely dark brown eyes and a chiselled jaw. He was dressed in a short-sleeved white button down shirt and khaki cargo pants.

"What the hell do you mean you lost him?" Ziva hissed, slamming her hands down on the desk. She leaned into the man.

"I mean just that Director." The man replied. "We have lost contact."

"But you are meant to be his control officer Hari!" Ziva snapped.

"Sometimes, officers don't want to be controlled Zee…you of all people should know that!" Hari retorted.

Ziva retreated back from the desk. She knew Hari was referring to her management of her brother Ari when she was his control agent. "I hate that you know me so well Hari." She sighed.

"I'm sorry I had to go there Ziva but I have tried everything to make contact." Hari replied.

"Well try harder." Ziva simply responded. Hari scoffed. "I am serious Hari…we have spent too much time establishing Officer Eschel's cover. I had to pull a lot of strings to get the assistance we needed from the Americans. My father would be seriously pissed if we failed now."

"Okay…I will try harder." Hari replied reluctantly.

"Good." Ziva stated, removing the sunglasses from the top of her head. "I had to take time out of my vacation to sort this out and I do not appreciate my vacation time being disturbed."

"Please, your life has been one big vacation since you left NCIS." Hari retorted.

"Hari, you would do well to remember that although we have been friends from childhood, I am still your director and will not be spoken to like that." Ziva stated, her voice cold as she stared into Hari's eyes.

"And you're only annoyed because you know I'm speaking the truth." Hari responded.

"Find Eschel, Officer Bishon." Ziva simply stated. "I meant what I said about interrupting my vacation."

"Of course Director David." Hari simply answered before Ziva left his office.

As Ziva exited the embassy, she pulled out her cell phone, looking for a particular name as she headed towards her car, where Arielle was patiently waiting.

* * *

_Rota, Spain…Naval Base…NCIS Headquarters…the bullpen…1613_

Tony sat at his desk, playing solitaire on his computer. It had been a slow week…there had been very little criminal activity. He glanced over at his agents.

Kendall Hickey was triple checking her paperwork…typical behaviour for the extremely efficient agent. Finley however, was most definitely playing a game on his computer.

Tony sighed. His senior agent was far too similar to him, which wasn't a bad thing; it just reinforced Tony's own regrets. Tony was determined to let his team be themselves and follow their own rules; not someone else's. So far so good. He knew he had the strongest NCIS team in Europe.

The ringing of his senior agent's cell phone interrupted his thoughts. He watched as Garrett answered it. "Um…getting there now might be a little difficult." He could hear him say. "Ah don't say that! God! I bet it's melting."

Tony gave a small laugh as he watched his senior agent's body wriggle with sexual frustration. He could tell from the pleading look in his eyes that the person on the other end of the phone was the elusive 'booty call'. "Finley just go." Tony stated.

"Thanks boss." Garrett almost yelped in surprise as he grabbed his gear and scrambled towards the elevator. He wasn't waiting around for Tony to change his mind.

Tony shook his head and gave a small laugh. He could feel Kendall's eyes on him. He looked at his younger agent. "He um…has a problem with his fridge. He's been waiting for the electrician all day." Tony lied.

"Huh!" Kendall sighed, standing up. "And there I was thinking it was a 'booty call'." She headed towards the photocopier.

Tony couldn't help but laugh. Yep, he definitely had the best team in Europe…at least when it came to Kendall.

* * *

_Tony's villa…1738_

Carmela Lopez stood in front of the sink, washing some lettuce. She was dressed in a simple white linen sundress, showing off her flawless tan skin and thin but curvy body. She was barefoot and wore no jewellery, except a simple solitaire platinum diamond ring on her left hand. She had long dark straight hair with a blunt fringe/bangs. She had large green eyes, with extremely long dark eyelashes and full, red lips.

"Honey, I'm home!" Tony jokingly called as he entered his home. He tossed his keys onto the phone table.

"I'm in the kitchen." Carmela's sultry Spanish voice called, just as Tony entered the kitchen.

"Yum…something smells good." Tony whispered as he wrapped his arms around Carmela from behind.

"Tony, we are having salad." Carmela laughed.

"Well then, it must be you." Tony replied, nibbling her neck.

"Tony!" Carmela laughed, pushing him away. "I am trying to prepare dinner."

"Forget the salad." Tony stated, spinning her around to face him. "I have something far tastier planned." He scooped her up into his arms.

"Tony!" She giggled as he lay her down on the kitchen table. The giggles were quickly replaced by moans as Tony's lips began to explore her body.

* * *

Garrett stood before the locked hotel suite door. He took a deep breath, before preparing to knock. As soon as he knocked, the door opened, revealing a tanned, dark haired beauty, dressed in a lemon sundress. "Took you long enough." She simply said.

"Hey, it's not like I was expecting the call." Garrett retorted. "I was under the impression you didn't want to see me two nights in a row Zee - vah."

"So I changed the rules? You got any complaints?" Ziva David asked, already slipping off her sundress.

"Nope…but I do have one question." Garrett replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"And what is that?" Ziva asked, a smile on her lips, wearing only a white satin strapless bra with matching French panties.

"Where exactly is this ice cream?" Garrett asked. Ziva's smile grew wider as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"That is for you to find out." She teasingly answered. Garrett returned the smile, before hungrily pressing his lips against hers; he then lifted her off her feet. Ziva quickly wrapped her legs around his waist as they both headed towards the bedroom, their lips, or bodies, never breaking contact.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter Preview…Officer Eschel turns up…but not how Mossad expected. **

**Okay…I know what you're thinking. How the hell is this a Tiva fic when Tony's engaged and Ziva is making 'booty calls' to Tony's senior field agent but all will be revealed! And of course, because it's me, there had to be some angst, right ;)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic so far. I hope you will continue to do so. Please let me know if you think this is worth continuing as it's quite different to my normal vein of stories. As always, any feeback, good or bad, is appreciated and welcomed. **

**Chapter 2**

_The next morning…Santa Maria, Spain…_

_0712…Ziva's hotel apartment_

Garrett Finley slowly opened his eyes and took in the sight before him. Lying beside him was the most beautiful girl he ever thought possible; her dark curls splashed across the pillow; her naked body covered only by a thin white linen bed sheet. She was sleeping peacefully.

He sighed inwardly, taking in her beauty; wondering how he ever got so lucky to meet a girl who wanted nothing more from him than his body. Could life get much better? A smile crept along his lips as he watched her sleeping.

There was something so intriguing and mysterious about her; this waitress on vacation from Italy; it was puzzling him. Although the bachelor in him was happy she was only in town briefly, and therefore had no ties to him, part of him couldn't help but think what would happen if she was to stick around. Would she become more than a 'booty call'?

Ziva slowly opened her eyes to find Garrett still watching her. She began to blush. "What?" She asked nervously, brushing her fingers against her lips. "Am I dripping?"

"Drooling and no, you're not." He corrected, a smile fixed on his lips.

"So why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

"Just wondering if we have time for another game of hide the sausage?" He replied.

"You even have to ask?" Ziva replied, already climbing on him.

Garrett couldn't help but continue to smile as Ziva began a trail of kisses from his chest, up his neck towards his jaw line. Just then, his phone began to ring. He groaned with frustration.

"Ignore it." Ziva whispered in his ear as she continued on her trail of kisses.

"You don't know my boss." Garrett replied, pushing Ziva off him. He answered the phone, ignoring Ziva 'toot' of disgust. "Morning boss…of course I'm on my way in to the office." He lied. "Okay, I'll meet you there."

He closed over the phone and jumped out of the bed. He began to pull on his boxers, followed by his shirt. "I guess we found the sausage." Ziva stated.

Garrett gave a small laugh, before leaning in to give Ziva a quick kiss. She turned her head, forcing the kiss to land on her cheek. "Rain check?" Garrett asked, his voice filled with hope.

"Tell me Garrett, why does a successful lawyer like yourself jump when your boss calls?" Ziva asked. "I thought you were the main man."

"I am." Garrett stated, the lies he told her when they first met flooding began into his mind. "However, I have a very important client who has found himself in some bother so…rain check?" He asked again.

"We will see." Ziva teased, with a smile. Garrett returned the smile, before frantically beginning to look for his pants. "Have you seen my pants?"

"I think they may be in the sitting room." Ziva answered.

Garrett pulled open the door to find Arielle, standing before him, holding up his trousers with one hand.

"I think these belong to you." She stated, taking Garrett from the bottom up.

"Thanks." He quickly replied, taking them from her. He didn't even bother to pull them on. Instead, he headed straight to the door.

"Nice boxers." Arielle called after him while Ziva giggled. Arielle turned her attention back on Ziva. "I'm glad you're in a good mood." Ziva stopped giggling.

"What is it now Elle?" Ziva asked. She knew that look in Arielle's eyes; and it was not good news.

"Hari found your officer…" Arielle began, "…washed up on a beach in Rota."

"I must notify his family." Ziva stated, already slipping into director mood. She began to slip on a robe.

"Zee, he didn't wash up alone." Arielle added. She could see the questions running through Ziva's mind. At times, her eyes were so easy to read. "He washed up with a navy Seal."

"Which Seal?" Ziva asked, knowing her vacation was well and truly over.

"Ryan Davidson." Arielle replied. Ziva hung her head. "Hari is at the embassy, trying to get jurisdiction over the scene and the case without blowing Officer Eschel's cover but there are already some NCIS agents on the scene and…"

"Get me Director Vance." Ziva said, finally raising her head.

"Okay." Arielle muttered as she watched Ziva head towards her ensuite bathroom. "Zee, I would just like to point out that the team leader of the NCIS agents is…"

"I know Arielle, I know." Ziva stated before heading into the bathroom.

* * *

_Rota, Spain… the beach…0828_

When Garrett finally arrived at the scene, he found Kendall and Dinozzo already there, along with the medical examiner, Milo. They were standing over two bodies, both wearing Navy Seal wet suits.

"Nice of you to join us Agent Finley." Tony snapped.

"Sorry boss, I got held up in traffic." Garrett replied.

"Funny that, when your place is five minutes down the road." Kendall observed, a smirk on her lips.

Garrett felt a quick slap on the back of his head. "Next time you're in Santa Maria, tell the truth Finley." Tony ordered.

"Yes boss, thanks boss." Garrett replied, glaring at Kendall, who still had a smile fixed on her lips. "So what have we got here? A training exercise gone wrong?"

Kendall scoffed. "Hardly!" She laughed.

"Hey Probie, remember what happens when you assume?" Garrett asked.

"Yeah I do." She answered confidently. "However, I'm not making an ass out of myself…just you."

"And how's that?" Garrett asked, raising his chest as he faced Kendall. "Has Milo even stated the cause of death?"

"Well no…" Milo began to answer, trying to diffuse the tension between the agents, but they completely ignored him.

"Ha! So it could be a training exercise gone wrong!" Garrett gloated.

"Well yeah…" Kendall began, "…except for the glaringly obvious G. to the chest and neck."

"Oh." Garrett muttered, admitting defeat.

"By the shape of the wounds, I think the weapon of choice was a 9mm but that's you're area of expertise so…" Kendall retorted, repaying Garrett's previous gloating.

"Quite possibly but I'll not be able to confirm it until we get the bodies back to headquarters." Garrett stated.

"If you two are finished your pissing contest, please get on with securing the scene." Tony finally spoke. "Ken, sketch and photograph. Finley, bag and tag and try to I.D. our vics. I'll talk to the lady who found the bodies."

"Yes boss." they bother muttered before beginning to carry out their duties.

"T.O.D. Milo?" Tony asked the medical examiner, who was staring out at the sea.

"Huh!" Milo muttered, snapping to attention. "Sorry, I was just admiring the surf. I wish I could be catching a few waves now."

"Milo, T.O.D., please?" Tony asked, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

"Oh, sorry Tony." Milo said. "T.O.D. is a little hard to assess at the moment, with the liver probe, sea temperature and of course the wet suits acting like an incubator…"

"Milo?" Tony interrupted.

"Anything between 4 and 18 hours, depending how long they were in the water." Milo answered.

"Great, just great." Tony muttered as he wandered away, towards the witness.

* * *

_The Bullpen…1143_

Tony stepped out of the elevator and headed straight towards his team, who were sitting at their desks. Kendall Hickey was the first to jump to attention.

"We have some information on our vics." She stated, stepping up to the plasma screen. She pressed a button to begin displaying some photos. "The first, Ryan Davidson, 36, the senior member of his platoon. Has been a Seal for the last twelve years. Clean service record. Has been involved in numerous top secret ops, all were extremely successful. He's a navy brat…both his dad and grandfather served although they never reached his success. He's married with two kids."

"And our second?" Tony asked.

"Aden Schimel, 32, only joined the platoon last year." Garrett began, taking over from Kendall. "We don't have a lot of info on the guy. His service record, of what we found…"

"Four years." Kendall injected.

"…is clean but other than that, we have nothing apart from the fact his mother is American, his father is Israeli." Garrett finished.

"The scuttle butt however," Kendall began, referring to her notepad, "…suggests that Davidson showed a special interest in Schimel, offering extra training and resources to get him up to scratch. Apparently, you didn't see one without the other."

"Maybe we have a little Brokeback Mountain issue?" Garrett suggested. "You know, don't ask, don't tell." This suggestion was met with a quick slap to the back of his head from Dinozzo.

"Has Milo uncovered anything else?" Kendall asked, completely ignoring Garrett.

"C.O.D.s were the G.S.W.s to the chest and neck, and it was a 9mm used so, good call Ken but he's still working on T.O.D." Tony replied.

"And we need a motive." Kendall added. "But boss, talking to their superiors, I gotta say, despite their closeness, everyone in the platoon was extremely fond of both Davidson and Schimel, Davidson particularly. He was like a father figure to most of the guys."

"Well maybe it was someone outside the platoon." Tony suggested. "Do we know what these guys were working on?"

"Boss, it's the Naval Special Warfare Command, they're not just gonna tell us." Garrett pointed out.

"All we know is it was top secret and our investigation doesn't warrant security clearance." Kendall added.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose again. He could feel his agents watching him, looking for instructions on what to do next. Finally, he lifted his head and turned to Kendall. "Get Director Vance on the phone." He ordered.

"But boss, it's not even 6am in Washington." Kendall argued.

"Just do it Ken." He instructed.

"Of course." Kendall replied, before slipping behind her desk to make the phone call. It only took a few moments before she had finished her call. "Um boss, Director Vance would like a video conference in five minutes. He's already been made aware of our case."

"How the hell would he already know about our case?" Tony pressed, not noticing that the elevator doors had popped open, revealing Arielle, dressed in a short denim skirt, white cami, a peach, short sleeved button down shirt, that was left unbuttoned and flat white sandals. Her light brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.

"Oh, I think I can help there." Arielle said as she approached the bullpen.

"Who the hell are you?" Tony spat.

"Arielle Cohen, Mossad." She stated, her eyes briefly landing on Garrett, who was struggling to cover his shock. Wasn't she the Italian waitress who handed him his pants this morning?

Arielle however, although shocked, covered it perfectly. "And your case has landed in our jurisdiction, Tony." She finished her sentence.

"Tony? How the hell do you know who I am?" Tony snapped, becoming more and more frustrated.

"Oh, I have my ways…Tony Dilose-o." Arielle replied.

"It's Dinozzo actually." Tony muttered, through gritted teeth.

"Really? Because you look like a loser from were I'm standing." Arielle replied.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked again, his anger building.

"She's my P.A." A familiar voice stated from behind Tony. Ziva's voice was close to cracking with nerves, especially when she saw Garrett. However, she held it together, unlike Garrett, who slumped further into his chair as recent events finally dawned on him. Something that did not go unnoticed by Kendall.

Slowly, Tony began to turn around to face the voice that he knew only too well; only he was praying he was wrong. His eyes moved from the feet up, taking in the black stilettos, black knee length pencil skirt, the fitted, purple short sleeved button down shirt that was tucked into the skirt, clinging to all the right places, before resting on the face he knew so well, her long dark hair straightened, with the front strands pinned back, away from her face.

"Hello Tony." Ziva stated, fighting her nerves to sound as cool as a cucumber, a warm smile fixed on her lips.

"Zee…how? Why? What?" He stuttered in shock.

"Director Vance is waiting Tony." She stated, walking past him towards the steps leading up to MTAC, followed by Arielle.

Tony and his team watched them go, completely confused; before Tony followed, leaving his team behind to take in the circumstances of the last five minutes.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter…Things slowly become clearer for both Tony and Ziva as a face off ensues. **


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi Guys! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. Wow! I am amazed by the response and I hope this chapter does not disapoint. I'd really love your reviews, feedback and opinions. **

**Chapter 3**

_MTAC, NCIS Headquarters…Rota, Spain…1150_

Both Ziva and Arielle stood in MTAC, in front of the huge screen, waiting for the video conference to begin. They were both silent, although, occasionally, Arielle would glance at Ziva, amazed by her cool composure.

Suddenly, the door to MTAC opened, causing both Ziva and Arielle to look around, to see Tony entering. He still looked a little shell-shocked but was desperately trying to regain his composure.

"Arielle, can you wait outside?" Ziva requested. Arielle looked at Ziva, about to question her request but she knew by the look in Ziva's eyes, it would be a losing battle.

"Of course director." Arielle stated and began to leave MTAC, giving Tony a disapproving look as she passed.

"Director?" Tony asked as he strode towards Ziva, although his eyes were fixed on Arielle's exit. "I guess a lot has changed." He was finally looking at Ziva, who was still studying the screen.

"It has been five years." She finally said, looking at him.

"Well, you look good." He stated, displaying his trademark 'Dinozzo' smile.

"And you look old." Ziva retorted, returning the smile.

"I didn't even know you left NCIS…and now you're the director of Mossad." Tony said, hoping to change the subject matter.

"I am the director of European Affairs Tony, my father is still in charge." Ziva replied. "And you would have known I left NCIS three years ago if you had even bothered to stay in touch. Abby wrote you so many letters and emails…and you ignored them all."

"I had my reasons." Tony muttered, staring at the floor, a flash of guilt clouding his eyes.

Ziva nodded solemnly before speaking. "It still did not stop her missing you." She stated.

"Did you miss me?" Tony asked, looking Ziva in the eye. There was silence for a few seconds, although it felt like minutes as Tony waited for Ziva's answer.

Before she could answer, Leon Vance's face flashed up on screen. Ziva was grateful for the interruption, Tony however, groaned with frustration.

"Tony and Ziva…just like the old days." Director Vance observed.

"Hello director." Tony coolly stated.

"Shalom Leon." Ziva said, her voice and smile filled with warmth. Her lack of formality with the director distracted Tony.

"Ziva, I was a little surprised to receive the call from Arielle." Director Vance said. "I was under the impression you were on vacation."

Tony glanced at both Vance and Ziva. The way Vance said "vacation" and the look in Ziva's eyes opened so many questions.

"Well the vacation is over Leon." Ziva replied, quickly recovering from her momentary lapse.

Vance nodded, his eyes full of comfort and understanding, sparking even more questions in Tony's mind. "So what can I do for you Ziva?" He finally asked.

"I need you to tell Agent Dinozzo and his agents to hand jurisdiction of the Davidson and Schimel case over to Mossad." Ziva stated.

"And why would I hand the death of two navy Seals over to Mossad?" Tony asked but Vance and Ziva completely ignored him.

"Ziva, you can't seriously expect me to do that." Vance laughed.

"Leon, this was Mossad's op from the get go." Ziva argued.

"Yes and NCIS helped you immensely." Vance retorted. "Eschel would never have established a cover without our assistance."

"Eschel? What the hell is going on?" Tony asked, completely confused. "How the hell are Mossad involved with our Navy Seals?" Again, Vance and Ziva ignored him.

"Are you seriously suggesting that this investigation becomes a joint investigation with Mossad and NCIS?" Ziva snapped.

"Yes Ziva I am." Vance spat back. There was silence as Ziva stared at her feet. Finally, she looked up.

"Okay, it can be a joint investigation." She reluctantly agreed. "But, on one condition."

"And what is that?" Vance asked.

"I want Gibbs and his team involved." Ziva replied.

"Wait! Why Gibbs?" Tony asked. "My team and I are more than capable of running this investigation. We're the best in Europe God damn it!"

"I want Gibbs, Vance." Ziva repeated, ignoring Tony's plea.

"As you wish Ziva." Vance reluctantly agreed, a sense of defeat suddenly washing over Tony as the words left his mouth. "Although, Dinozzo and his team should also be involved."

Ziva quickly glanced at Tony. "Fine." She muttered, reluctantly.

"I hope you can get this resolved as quickly as possible Ziva." Vance said before signing off.

Ziva breathed deeply before exhaling. She glanced at Tony. He was watching her, his arms folded and his eyes filled with intent, anger and disappointment. She knew he was hurt.

* * *

Kendall Hickey sat her desk, her eyes drifting between her partner, who was staring at his keyboard, lost in his thoughts, and the Israeli girl, patiently waiting outside MTAC. She saw his reaction to the two Mossad officers. She saw the shock register in his eyes. She knew he knew them…and not through Mossad. She could tell his knowledge of them was strictly carnal.

"That was a nasty surprise for the boss." She simply said.

"Huh?" Garrett Finley muttered, slowly snapping out of his thoughts.

"His old partner from NCIS turning up, under her old guise of Mossad." Kendall retorted. "It looked like he had no idea."

"He's not the only one." Garrett muttered.

"I guess he didn't stay in touch with his old team in Washington." Kendall stated. "Although it is completely understandable. I mean, I heard talk that he left Washington because he fell for his partner and it was against the rules but still…"

"Yeah." Garrett muttered. He had also heard the rumours and he had also pieced together some of the story after a night of drinking with his boss a month after he started. The wounds of Tony's broken heart were still fresh.

Still, he had no idea Tony's 'Ziva' was his 'booty call Ziva'. She was meant to be a waitress from Italy, not a Mossad Officer.

Kendall exhaled before beginning to speak. "Damnit Gar! I was trying to be all blasé about this but you're going to make me ask, aren't you?"

"Ask what?" He retorted, desperately hoping for that for once, Kendall's skills of observation had failed her.

"Have you slept with Ziva?" She asked.

Garrett scoffed. "Of course not!" He laughed.

"Oh my God! You have!" Kendall exclaimed.

"How the hell do you do that?" Garrett hissed. Sometimes he hated Kendall and her skills. She was like a human lie detector.

"You really screwed up this time Finley!" Kendall retorted. "I mean…the boss' ex, a Mossad officer to boot…who wants to take over the most exciting case we've had since I arrived!"

"In my defence, she told me she was a waitress from Italy on vacation." Garrett snapped back.

"And you couldn't spot that she was lying?" Kendall hissed.

"No Kendall, unlike you, I'm not a human lie detector." Garrett spat back. "Plus, she's Mossad, she's probably an expert liar to withstand any interrogation."

"So are you going to tell the boss?" Kendall asked, her voice beginning to restore calm.

Garrett scoffed again. "Are you kidding me? I don't have a death wish."

Kendall nodded, before adding. "Well just be careful."

"Aw Ken…" Garrett began, his trademark grin trying to make a reappearance, "…anyone would think you were actually concerned."

"I am." Kendall replied, taking Garrett by surprise. "About the boss, not you." Garrett nodded, knowing normality was restored.

* * *

Ziva looked directly at Tony. "Tony, do not give me that look." She sighed, folding her arms.

"Why bring in Gibbs?" Tony snapped, turning to face her.

"Because I need to solve this case." Ziva replied.

"My team and I are more than capable of solving this case." Tony stated.

"I am sure you believe that." Ziva agreed, before trying to side step Tony. Tony reached out and took her arm, before spinning her around.

"Ziva, we don't need Gibbs." Tony said, looking Ziva in the eye.

"Well I do." Ziva replied, her eyes never leaving Tony as she freed her arm from his grasp. "Tony, I know you have your issues with Gibbs…"

Tony scoffed. "You know nothing about my issues with Gibbs!"

"I know Tony." Ziva quietly stated. She watched the anger in his eyes be replaced with shock, then confusion, before returning to anger.

"And you can still work with him?" Tony asked.

"Yes Tony…he realised he made a mistake." Ziva answered honestly. "And you are not completely blameless either."

"Excuse me?" Tony scoffed.

"You did not stay and fight for us." Ziva said, a tear in her eye appearing but quickly disappearing again.

"I…I couldn't." Tony softly stated.

"I know…you are Tony Dinozzo after all." Ziva said. There was silence. "The point is, this case is bigger than you and Gibbs. I have lost one of my best officers and the US Navy has lost one of its' best Seals."

"And you need Gibbs because?" Tony asked.

"Because he helped put this op in motion." Ziva answered. "And because our targets are probably the most dangerous I have ever had to deal with."

"And you don't have any faith in me." Tony added.

"Tony!" Ziva laughed. "I was your partner for four years. I put my life in your hands every day; of course I have faith in you. Your team however, are a little green."

Tony opened his mouth to defend them but he knew she was speaking the truth. This was their first murder case of the year.

"I know you do not want to see Gibbs again." Ziva softly added. "But you have to stop being selfish and think about your team…they will need him."

She walked out of MTAC, knowing Tony's eyes were on her but she also knew he would come around to her point of view. She found Arielle waiting.

"How are you?" Arielle asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"Honestly, it was easier than I expected." Ziva replied.

"Really?" Arielle exclaimed in surprise.

"No…but I am hoping if I keep telling myself that I will start to believe it." Ziva stated.

"Aw Zee." Arielle said, gently squeezing Ziva's shoulder. "Well you do have something other than Dinozzo to occupy your thoughts."

"Yes and this case certainly will." Ziva agreed.

"I was actually talking about your lawyer 'booty call' who's actually Tony's senior field agent." Arielle stated, nodding her head towards the bullpen, where Garrett was sitting, having a discussion with his partner. "Talk about awkward."

"Yes, it certainly was not my smartest hook down." Ziva agreed, looking down at the bullpen.

"Hook UP." Arielle quickly corrected. "So what are you going to do?"

"That…I do not know." Ziva stated. "All I do know is Tony does not need to know." Arielle nodded in agreement, both their eyes fixed on Garrett in the bullpen, who at that moment, looked up and locked eyes with Ziva.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter Preview…Tony and Ziva both try and play catch up with the case, and the last 5 years. **

**As I said before, all reviews and feedback are extremely welcomed. **


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, thanks to everyone who read and fed back on the last chapter. I really appreciate it! I hope you will continue to read, enjoy and review! **

**Chapter 4**

Garrett's eyes stayed on Ziva. He couldn't look away, and it seems, either could she. The sudden appearance of Tony departing MTAC however broke any trace as Ziva and Arielle followed his lead, back into the bullpen.

He glanced down at his desk, trying to look busy as he waited for the return of his boss. He could feel Kendall's eyes on him. He looked up at her. "What now Probie?" He hissed across to her desk.

"I just think you should try to be a little less obvious." Kendall stated in a hushed tone.

"Excuse me?" Garrett sniped.

"Locking eyes across the bullpen?" Kendall asked. "I thought you said you didn't want the boss to discover that you had a little liaison with his ex? He is a trained investigator."

"Noted." Garrett muttered in reply just as Tony, Ziva and Arielle approached their desks.

"So how did it go with the director, boss?" Kendall asked. "Did we get our security clearance? Are we the lead agency?"

"Aren't you the eager beaver?" Arielle scoffed. "You're right Zee, she's totally green."

"Hey!" Garrett snapped. "She's a pretty good field agent."

"Did you just compliment me?" Kendall asked in shock.

"Not now Ken." Garrett barked. "Boss?" He was looking at Tony to defend them.

"Look, my team may be a little eager…and we may have had little experience with these type of investigations but who needs experience when you have our skills?" Tony stated. "Kendall here, graduated top of her class at the academy, has an I.Q. of 173, a photographic memory, has two B.A.s, one in criminal psychology and another in I.C.T. And Finley, he was the best detective at the L.A.P.D. before he joined NCIS and he's one of the best investigators NCIS has ever had."

"You kinda under sold me compared to Ken boss." Garrett muttered. Tony answered him with a stern 'Not now' look.

"I guess you do have some skills." Arielle muttered.

"Look, let us start afresh, okay?" Ziva asked, trying to restore calm. "I am sure you are a very talented team and you have a very good team leader. I know…because I worked under himself myself." She shared a small smile with Tony.

"That's not the only time you were under him." Kendall muttered under her breath.

"But your murder investigation has stumbled on to our extremely sensitive operation and because of this, we are now running a joint investigation."

"What?" Both Kendall and Garrett exclaimed.

"Are you happy with this boss?" Garrett asked.

"Director's orders Finley." Tony answered. Both Kendall and Garrett groaned with frustration while Arielle smiled smugly.

"So let us start by introducing ourselves." Ziva stated. "I am Ziva David." She looked directly at Garrett. "Mossad, Director of European Affairs and from this moment on, your go to girl."

Both Garrett and Kendall groaned again, now knowing they had to answer to someone other than Tony. Ziva ignored them and carried on, taking her focus off Garrett. "And this I guess is my personal assistant Arielle Cohen, although I like to think of her as a human chameleon. She can do whatever you need."

Garrett scoffed but was silenced by a smack to the back of his head from Tony. "Of course, we have other members of our team but you'll meet them later." Ziva stated and then nodded to Tony, to indicate he could speak next.

"Well, I guess I should introduce our team." Tony stated. "I'm Tony Dinozzo, team leader." He nodded towards Kendall. "Special Agent Kendall Hickey, field officer." He then nodded towards Garrett and couldn't help but notice the sheepish look in Garrett's eyes, or the equally sheepish look in Ziva's. "Special Agent Garrett Finley, senior field agent."

"Great…introductions are over, at least until Gibbs arrives…" Ziva began to say.

"Wait! The famous Leroy Jethro Gibbs is coming here?" Garrett asked.

"Yes, he will be helping with the investigation." Ziva answered.

"So we get to meet your old boss, boss?" Kendall asked, becoming excited.

"Yep." Tony muttered, becoming uncomfortable, which Ziva could sense.

"Yes so unless you want your first experience of Gibbs to be a pissed Gibbs, I suggest we get to work." Ziva stated, regaining focus. "So Arielle, you start?"

"Okay." Arielle said, lifting out a file. She began to recite the Intel already gathered while Ziva glanced at Tony, whose head was down, deep in thought.

She had a few hours to prepare herself for seeing him again but Tony, she knew he was caught by surprise. And, he covered it well in front of his team but she knew his mind was whirling. She hoped he would sort himself out before Gibbs arrived. She could not afford to mess up this mission because his mind was not in the right place. They had to be professional about working together again. Their history was just that…history.

She could sense Garrett watching her from the corner of his eye and she inwardly sighed. Yes, she did not need any distractions…distractions had caused her too much trouble in the past. This was one distraction she would have to take care of, fast.

* * *

_40 minutes later…the bullpen _

Arielle was standing in front of the plasma screen, a file in one hand and the remote/clicker in the other, offering pictures on the screen to go with the information she was providing. Kendall and Garrett were both at their desks, as was Tony; while Ziva sat perched on the edge of Tony's desk.

Occasionally, on different occasions, she could feel both Tony and Garrett glance at her when they thought no one was looking.

"So," Arielle said, grabbing Ziva's attention. She closed over her file. "any questions?" She had finished presenting Mossad's information.

"Can I just see if I got this straight?" Kendall was the first to speak. "Basically, you've found that Syrian terrorists are trying to recruit our Seals to take down Mossad. So, you sent in one of your guys to try and find the recruiter and Davidson was well aware of this and helped you out?"

"Pretty much." Arielle replied with a shrug. Ziva couldn't help but smile. She knew what that shrug meant. Arielle was impressed by Agent Hickey and was afraid to show it after calling her green.

"And how could you be sure Davidson wasn't the recruiter?" Garrett asked.

"A gut feeling." Ziva quickly answered and Garrett quickly scoffed. "Gibbs' gut feeling."

"So that's how Gibbs is involved." Tony muttered.

"Yeah." Ziva answered. "Davidson's father was a Marine in Gibbs' platoon. Gibbs saved him from death and as such, Davidson saw Gibbs as some sort of hero and would do anything to help."

"And ended up dead for his trouble." Tony pointed out.

"Yes, and Gibbs will not be pleased." Ziva retorted.

"So you are back to square one?" Garrett stated. "Now that Davidson and Schimel, I mean agent Eschel are dead, you're no closer to finding the recruiter."

"Actually, we are pretty sure the recruiter is based in La Bonita's, the local strip club here in Rota." Arielle said.

"Aw, the favourite night spot of the male navy personnel." Garrett sighed.

"You included." Kendall added, which was replied with 'daggers' from Garrett.

"And the club is owned by the Nassif brothers, Aarif and Hadi." Arielle said.

"Syria's own version of the Italian mob." Tony interjected.

"So you have heard of them?" Ziva asked.

"Their names have come up a couple of times because as Garrett said, it's the favourite hang out of the male population on base." Tony replied.

"Well Ziva and myself have both had our own dealings with the Nassif brothers and they are not easy to cross." Arielle said. "They are extremely suspicious, especially of the female kind."

Tony glanced at Ziva and for the first time since she arrived at NCIS headquarters, her head was down and if he didn't know any better, he was sure there were tears in her eyes.

"So is that why you haven't tried putting a female agent or officer in the club?" Kendall asked.

"Partly." Arielle replied. "We do not have a female officer with the correct 'look' for the club. Plus, they are extremely dangerous once you get in. We'd need a female with extreme skills just to make it out alive."

"Well you and Ziva both made it out alive." Garrett pointed out.

"That's different, we're Mossad's best." Arielle retorted.

"I think we should just break for lunch now." Ziva suddenly spoke, raising her head. The tears were now gone.

"Okay." Tony agreed, sensing Ziva needed some space. "Finley, go get the usual. Ziva, what type of sandwich or salad would you like? Unfortunately, Spain does not have the Philly Cheese Steak."

Ziva gave a small smile as Tony remembered her favourite sandwich. Then she glanced at Garrett. This may be her only chance to get some time alone with him…and they had a lot to sort out if they were going to be working together.

"Actually, I am not sure what I want to eat." She stated. "Can I come too Agent Finley?" She asked.

"Um…sure." Garrett stuttered in reply. He knew what conversation was coming.

"Well Ziva if you want to go then maybe I…" Tony began to say.

"Actually Agent Dinozzo, I was kinda hoping you could take me to see you coroner and forensic analyst so I can go over your finding at the scene." Arielle said, taking hold of Tony's arm. She knew Ziva had things to discuss with Tony's senior field agent.

"What? Now you're a forensic expert?" Tony asked, turning to face Arielle so Ziva could slip away. Ziva gave her a grateful smile.

"Like Zee said, I'm a human chameleon." Arielle said, leading Tony towards Milo's lab, distracting him from Ziva. "There are many sides to my talents."

* * *

_The Deli…10 minutes later…_

"If you're fond of the Philly Cheese Streak, you should try the roast beef with cheese toastie, it's as close as you'll get." Garrett suggested as he looked at the ingredients on display; anything to avoid Ziva's gaze. He had just placed the NCIS's team order.

"I will have a tuna salad, as will Arielle." Ziva stated, placing her order. The man behind the counter nodded and went away to prepare the order.

Ziva stepped towards Garrett and leaned against the counter, were his hands were resting. "So your important client this morning were two dead bodies that washed up on a beach?"

"I wasn't the only one who was lying Zee-vah." Garrett stated, finally looking at her. "You're not exactly a waitress from Italy."

"I have been in the past…undercover." Ziva replied, a smile on her lips. Garrett did not return the smile. "Garrett, all I wanted was a little fun while I was on vacation and I would not have got any if I was truthful. Most men run a mile when they hear I am Mossad."

"Well I'm not most men." Garrett replied.

"No, most men would think admitting to being a federal agent is far more impressive than a lawyer." Ziva stated, a sly smile on her lips.

Now it was Garrett's turn to smile. "I was trying to impress you, letting you think I have a lot of money." Garrett answered.

"And as a government employee, I know how little money you actually do have." Ziva said. There was silence. Finally Ziva decided to break it. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, if I am being honest, if I knew who you really were, I wouldn't have went there." Garrett answered.

"Yes, being with your boss' ex-partner would have been awkward." Ziva agreed.

"Actually, it's the fact you've slept with him would have been awkward." Garrett corrected. He could see the shock in Ziva's eyes. "C'mon Zee, Tony was a broken man when he arrived in town. You don't think he would have let something slip?"

A small smile was fighting to get out of Ziva. Tony was upset when he arrived in Spain…he had cared for her, possibly loved her.

"So we are both agreed this can never happen again? And Tony can never find out?" Ziva stated, regaining her cool, business like composure.

"Yes…although the sex…" Garrett began before trailing off. "It wasn't just me right? I mean, it was good, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Ziva agreed. "But we have to think about the case and Tony."

"Okay, I agree." Garrett replied, just as the man appeared with their orders. "It will never happen again and Tony will never know."

"Thank you." Ziva said.

"Now, let's get back before they begin to think something's going on." Garrett said, grabbing the food off the counter. Ziva smile and followed him out.

* * *

Tony led Arielle to the elevator after leaving Milo's lab. It had been the longest 20 minutes of his life. He had watched Arielle flirt with Milo, further distracting his easy going medical examiner and forensic analyst. That man really needed something…maybe one of Abby's Caf-Pows to get him focused. Although, he was very good at his job; he just wasn't Abby.

He smiled as he thought of Abby. Maybe Ziva was right, maybe he should have stayed in contact with her. After all, she did nothing wrong. At the time, he thought a clean break was best.

This was the second time in the last 20 minutes that he had thought of Abby. The first was when he was in the lab, watching Arielle go off in an excitable rant about some science thing. She had sounded just like Abby.

He glanced at Arielle as they stepped into the elevator. She was full of surprises…and possibly wasted as Ziva's assistant. He thought of Cynthia, Director Shepard's assistant and as nice as she was, she was no were near as skilled as Arielle.

"Okay!" Arielle exclaimed, reaching pull the emergency stop button. The elevator stopped. She spun around to face Tony. "Why the hell do you keep looking at me? I know you have some questions so just ask them!"

Tony smiled. "Sorry but I can't help but wonder why a girl with your skills and abilities is a director's assistant. It seems like such a waste." He stated, remaining cool.

"Well, technically, I am her assistant but Ziva's sees me as more of a partner." Arielle replied.

"And daddy David?" Tony asked. "In what capacity does he see you?"

"Tony, what are you asking me?" Arielle asked.

"Arielle, I was Ziva's partner for 4 years and the Ziva I'm seeing now is not the Ziva I knew." Tony answered.

"Well it has been five years." Arielle shot back.

"Arielle, I know something is wrong so might as well just tell me." Tony said.

"Fine, you want to know what's up with Ziva, I'll tell you." Arielle retorted. "You broke her heart, that's what's up!" Tony hung his head in shame. "When you left, she tried to carry on at NCIS, even when Gibbs was honest about why you left but she was too hurt."

"I thought it was the right thing to do." Tony stated. "I didn't want to hurt her in the long run."

"But you did." Arielle replied. "So she left NCIS, returned to Mossad, threw herself into a mission that went horribly wrong…"

"Involving the Nassif brothers?" Tony asked.

"It's not my place to say." Arielle replied. "However, it did worry her father so he gave her the title of Director of European Affairs, removing her from the field and placed me as her assistant…"

"To protect her…like a bodyguard." Tony observed.

"Yes but truth be told, she has saved me more times than I have saved her." Arielle replied, her eyes filling with tears before disappearing again.

"And does her father know that she's involved with the Nassif brothers again?" Tony asked, his voice filled with concern.

"He's been informed that Ziva is overseeing the case, in her role as director." Arielle replied. "As far as he's concerned, Hari Bishon, Officer Eschel's control officer is the lead on the case."

"And, where's he? 'Cause he's not here." Tony asked.

"He's at the embassy, trying to find us a new lead." Arielle replied. "You'll meet him soon." At that, she released the emergency stop.

"I should have stayed in touch." Tony muttered as the elevator began to move.

"Why? It wouldn't have changed anything." Arielle retorted. "She was in love with you and you broke her heart. Do you think she would have taken your calls? Read your postcards?" The elevator stopped. "The only way you could have stopped this is if you stood up to Gibbs and fought to be with her but you didn't…and you can't take it back."

Arielle stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the bullpen. Tony followed her out. His eyes finding Ziva, who had just returned with the food, along with Garrett. Tony hung his head again, avoiding her gaze, suddenly regretting every decision he had made over the last five years.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next chapter preview…Gibbs arrives in Rota**

**As always, all feedback, good or bad, is extremely welcomed!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. I really appreciate the support, especially as I have very little time to write due to work commitments but your reviews make it worth the effort. I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

_The bullpen…a few hours later_

Ziva exited the ladies bathroom and began walking towards the bullpen. She could see Tony at his desk, his eyes glued to the computer screen. He was the only one around. Arielle was in the conference room, taking a call from Hari at the Israeli embassy. Garrett and Kendall were visiting the family of the navy Seal Davidson to try and gather more information.

She approached Tony's desk from behind and leaned in to him. "Find anything interesting?" She whispered in his ear, startling Tony.

"Geez…Don't do that!" Tony complained.

Ziva laughed as she sat herself on Tony's desk, facing him; her knee brushing against his but neither one pulling back. "I missed doing that." She stated. Tony grunted in return, before focusing on the computer screen again.

"Hey!" Ziva said again, gently kicking Tony on the shin to get his attention. He looked up. "You have been so quiet since lunch. Are you nervous about seeing Gibbs tomorrow? It is understandable."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Tony asked.

"Excuse me?" Ziva asked.

"I walked away from us…I left you." Tony stated. "Your last words to me were 'I hate you' so why don't you?"

"Because it is in the past…and a lot has changed." Ziva answered. "I have changed."

"So I noticed." Tony muttered under his breath.

"Tony, please…why can we not talk?" Ziva asked.

"Because Zee, you're not the only one who has changed." Tony replied. Just then, his cell phone began to ring. He flicked it open. "Hey, now is not a good time. Can I call you back? Thanks. You too." He closed over his phone.

"A girlfriend?" Ziva asked, hoping for a denial.

Tony ignored her question but could see the disappointment in Ziva's eyes, before she nodded her head knowingly. "Look Ziva, I'm not gonna deny it…it is great to see you again but I really don't know what you expect me to say. I can say I'm sorry…"

"Tony, I do not want that." Ziva retorted. "I forgave you a long time ago…you did not think we were worth fighting for and I have accepted it."

"Ziva, you were worth the fight, but I wasn't." Tony answered.

"Why do you have to be so down on yourself?" Ziva asked, lifting her hand to gently stroke Tony's cheek. Tony nuzzled himself into her hand, almost becoming lost in her touch. "I always believed in you." He fought the urge to gently kiss her fingers. "And although he did not show it, Gibbs believed in you too. He missed you so much when you left."

Tony pulled away from Ziva, snapping out of the trance her touch created. "You'll always side with him, Zee…despite everything he's done." Tony hissed, becoming angry.

"No, Tony…" Ziva began. "Everything has changed. When he arrives, I just…I want us to be team again."

"You can't fix this Zee." Tony snapped, standing up. He began putting his gun into his holster and clipping his badge onto his belt. "I was wrong not to fight for us but he was wrong too."

"I know that Tony." Ziva softly said, trying to restore calm.

"Look, I think we should just call it a night." Tony stated, grabbing his bag. "I don't think we'll get any more work done like this."

"Okay." Ziva muttered, her eyes filling with tears, as Tony walked past her, reaching for his cell phone.

"I'll see you in the morning Ziva." He stated, before beginning to make a call to tell his agents to go home when they were finished.

"Goodnight Tony." Ziva softly replied, just as Arielle entered the bullpen, passing Tony.

"What's going on? Are we done for the night?" Arielle asked.

"Apparently so." Ziva replied, brushing back the tears in her eyes to regain her composure.

"What happened?" Arielle asked, placing her hands on Ziva's shoulders.

"I did not want any tension when Gibbs arrives tomorrow." Ziva answered.

"Ziva, you gotta let Tony be pissed at Gibbs." Arielle stated. "You had your moment…now he needs his."

"Even if it gets in the way of the mission?" Ziva asked.

"Zee, they're both professionals, they will put their personal feelings behind them." Arielle reassured her. "Trust me."

"I really hope so." Ziva sighed, already dreading tomorrow.

* * *

_An hour later…_

Ziva was standing on a low balcony, looking out onto a beautiful but dark beach; the only light provided by the moon. A gentle breeze was blowing. She turned around and began walking towards the two French panel doors connected to the balcony. She stepped through the doors and the mesh drapes separating the kitchen/dining area from the balcony.

"So, will this place be okay?" Hari Bishon asked as Ziva entered the room. He was leaning against the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

"Yes Hari, it is perfect." Ziva replied. "I did not know this place existed."

"We only use it for visiting diplomats…and I guess we can place Gibbs in that category." Hari answered, with a small smile. Ziva nodded and then wandered towards the sitting room.

"So will you and Arielle be staying here also?" He asked, following Ziva. "There are five bedrooms here."

"No, we will still occupy the penthouse at the hotel." Ziva answered, running her hand over the back of the sofa.

"So you want Tony to forgive Gibbs but you can't bring yourself to live under the same roof as him." Hari stated. Ziva spun around to face him, her eyes filled with questions. "Elle told me about your little dispute with Tony this evening."

"I wish you two would remember who is in charge here." Ziva sighed, annoyed at their interference.

"You may be our boss Zee but you are our friend first and foremost." Hari stated, defending himself and Arielle.

"I know that it is wrong that I expect Tony to put his feelings aside, when it is clear I still have my own issues with Gibbs." Ziva observed. "However, Gibbs is well aware that I no longer hold the same respect for him as a friend but as an agent, he has my whole hearted respect. We have the ability to stay professional with each other…Tony and Gibbs however, could be different."

"And Tony should be allowed to let his personal feelings be expressed." Hari stressed.

"Now you sound like Arielle." Ziva sighed.

"Because she's right." Hari laughed. "Zee, we have been friends since we were what? 3 years old?"

"Around that." Ziva replied.

"And since then, you've always been able to separate fact from feeling and only act on the facts." Hari pointed out.

"Well, I was brought up under Mossad." Ziva retorted.

"The point is…the facts were all you lived by until you joined NCIS 9 years ago." Hari pointed. "Then you started letting feelings interact with facts and you became…"

"Vulnerable? Weak? Unfocused?" Ziva pressed.

"Human." Hari corrected. "And you know who was responsible? Tony…not Gibbs…but Tony."

"It was not a good thing." Ziva snapped.

"No, it was the best thing." Hari retorted. "It made you a world class officer and investigator."

"So world class I am not longer in the field." Ziva muttered.

Hari ignored her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Zee, you can keep the professional line with Gibbs because you deal with the facts. The point I'm trying to make is Tony needs to express his feelings towards Gibbs because he deals with feelings…it's what makes him a better agent and investigator…the one that can solve this case."

"I hope you are right." Ziva muttered. "I do not need a meltdown in the bullpen."

"I am Zee." Hari reassured her. "Tony may act on his feelings but he'll not put his team in jeopardy for it. He'll say what he needs to say to Gibbs…but he will not let it hurt this investigation."

* * *

_Tony's beach house…1756_

Tony stepped into his home to find Carmela sitting on the balcony, a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. She was dressed in a simple lemon sundress, her long dark hair pinned up in a rough bun.

As soon as she saw Tony, she put down the book and wine and headed towards him. Tony walked straight into the kitchen and began to pour himself a glass of wine. "You did not return my call." Carmela softly said, looking at him from across the breakfast bar.

"It was only an hour ago Carm." Tony sighed, before gulping the wine down in one go.

"I know…but you always make time to talk to me." Carmela replied.

"Look, I had a busy day at work." Tony said softly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I know…the whole town is talking about the two bodies that washed up." Carmela stated. Tony's head shot up to look at her. "Tony, it's a small town with a low crime rate because it's a U.S. Navy base town. A double murder was going to cause a stir. I was helping my father at the restaurant today and everyone was asking me what you were going to do about it."

"I'm trying to catch the murderer…which is why I couldn't take your call!" Tony snapped, before immediately regretting it when he saw Carmela recoil in shock. "I'm sorry."

"I know you're busy Tony…as you are everyday." Carmela stated coolly. "But I want you to remember that we're a team…it's not you and me as separate beings anymore, we're an _**us**_, almost man and wife, and the locals wanted some reassurance, which is what I was trying to get when I phoned you."

"I'm sorry." Tony apologised again.

"I just thought you could take my call if Garrett could grab some lunch with a date." Carmela pointed out before turning to walk towards the balcony again.

"A date?" Tony asked, stopping Carmela in her tracks. "Agent Finley was grabbing lunch for all of us, with an officer that's helping us with the case."

"Huh!" Carmela sighed, briefly turning to face Tony. "I guess Diego at the Deli got the wrong idea." She began walking towards the balcony again, leaving Tony to ponder his thoughts.

* * *

_Navy Airbase…Rota, Spain…0525_

Ziva stood on the grass banking, beside the barbed wire gate, on the edge of the runway. There was a gentle breeze, causing her long dark curly hair to sway. She pulled her red hooded zip up top tighter, keeping in the warmth her green khaki cargo pants and simple cream vest top supplied. She was waiting for Gibbs' plane to land.

"No power suit today?" Tony's familiar voice asked as he joined her. He was referring to the way she dressed yesterday.

"It is outside office hours." She answered simply.

"Well the 'out of hours' look suits you." Tony stated. "You look like the Ziva David I remember."

"Well, I am not that Ziva David, Liaison Officer anymore." Ziva retorted, turning to look at Tony, who was wearing jeans, a blue button down shirt with a grey sweater over it. "And I am not the only one who has changed. When you left D.C., you were the one in the suits."

"Yeah well the suits don't really go with the climate here." Tony replied. Ziva nodded her head and turned her attention back to the runway. "So, no Arielle today?"

"I do not need my assistant to pick up old friends at the airport." Ziva retorted.

Tony nodded his head, wondering if Arielle was quite light on her protection detail or if Ziva had given her the slip. "Listen Zee, I'm sorry if Agent Finley made you feel uncomfortable when you went to get lunch yesterday." Tony said.

"What?" Ziva squeaked, her mind began to whirl, wondering if he knew the truth. She could see the questions flash across his eyes. Her nervous behaviour was making him think of questions she did not want to answer. She quickly recovered. "Tony, Agent Finley was fine, almost a perfect gentleman. Why would you say such a thing?"

"Well, Agent Finley has a habit of acting inappropriately so I thought I'd apologise in advance." Tony answered, watching Ziva's reaction carefully.

"Senior field agent acting inappropriately?" Ziva stated, a small smile on her lips as one eye looked at Tony. "It sounds familiar but do not worry, Agent Finley did not act inappropriately."

"I thought so." Tony sighed, relieved that Diego's comments to Carmela were obviously wrong. "It's not like either of you would go there anyway." Tony laughed.

"Of course not." Ziva nervously scoffed. "So um, I was not expecting you here to greet Gibbs." A plane began to approach.

"I have some things I wish to say to Gibbs and I'd rather say them here than in the office." Tony replied. He looked at Ziva. "You're not the only one who knows how to keep the professional line, Ziva."

Ziva gave a small smile as the plane landed. "Tony, I think you should be made aware that things have changed back in D.C." Ziva began to say. "When Gibbs broke us up and he saw the damage he caused, he changed and because of that, the team changed…"

"Zee, I don't want to hear it." Tony stated. "This is between Gibbs and I now." He turned his attention towards the plane, ignoring Ziva, just as the plane doors opened.

First at the door was McGee, carrying a child, around the age of 2 years, with short blonde curly hair, big green eyes and an infectious smile. Tony's jaw dropped to the ground as the passengers continued to unload. Behind McGee, was a heavily pregnant Abby, before his eyes rested and locked on Gibbs, who almost looked nervous?

His focus on Gibbs was lost when he heard the squeal of "Auntie Zee-zee." He turned his attention to the small child, who had wrestled free from McGee's hold and was racing towards Ziva.

"Tabitha Ziva McGee don't run!" He could hear the waddling Abby scold while McGee laughed, taking Abby's hand, and the child ignored her, to continue running towards Ziva. "See, this is why she doesn't listen to her mother!" Abby slapped McGee on the arm.

Tony looked at Ziva who was hunched down, her arms open, waiting for impact. The small girl jumped into Ziva's arms. Ziva scooped her up, snuggling herself into the child's blonde curls. "Oh my gorgeous Goddaughter. How I missed you!" She sighed, a few tears pricking her eyes as she hugged the child.

She could see from the corner of her eye that Tony was overwhelmed and confused by the recent events. He was looking at her for answers.

"I tried to tell you things had changed." She stated before returning her focus to the small child in her arms, eagerly showing Ziva the necklace around her small neck.

He knew the necklace well; it was Ziva's 'Star of David'. He looked up to see McGee, Abby and Gibbs fast approaching them. He locked eyes with Gibbs again, the anger building inside him. It was now clear what had happened. Gibbs had abolished rule number 12, leaving McGee and Abby free to get together and have children. Too bad he had to ruin what Tony and Ziva had first.

Tony clenched his fists and took a deep breath, desperately trying not to explode. He did not want to act like this in front of McGee, Abby and their child. He could see the nervousness in Gibbs' eyes and he was right to feel nervous. Things had definitely changed.

**To be continued…**

**Next chapter preview…Tony and Gibbs finally talk!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is kind of filler were Gibbs and co finally meet the Rota team but I needed to do it to get the introductions over. So please stick with it and I hope the Gibbs/Tony showdown isn't disappointing. Oh, and sorry for only posting every week or two but my work commitments doesn't give me much time to write. **

**Chapter 6**

Tony continued to take deep breaths and exhale as McGee, Abby and Gibbs made there way towards them. McGee was the first to greet them. Tony stood back and watched his 'probie' embrace Ziva. He had definitely matured over the 5 years. He was no longer babbling or nervous, he was extremely strong and confident in his own actions.

"Zee, it's so good to see you again." McGee stated, gently pressing his lips against her cheek. There was a softness to his voice, with a hint of concern. He looked Ziva in the eye and gently took her in his arms, being careful not to squeeze his daughter, still in Ziva's arms.

"It is good to see you too." Ziva replied, her eyes wet with uncried tears. "I am sorry I missed Thanksgiving." He released Ziva from his hold and stroked her cheek.

"Well, we're here together now." He stated, which was met with a big smile from Ziva. He took Tabitha back into his arms and headed towards Tony.

It was clear to Tony that over the years, although they didn't work together anymore, Ziva was still considered part of the family.

"Tony, it's good to see you again, finally." McGee stated, with Tabitha on one arm, he offered his free hand.

"You too Probie, or should it be McDaddy?" Tony joked, shaking McGee's free hand.

"He isn't a probie anymore!" Abby hissed.

"Abs!" Both McGee and Ziva sighed together, before Ziva engulfed her in a hug.

"Abby, you are absolutely glowing." Ziva cried happily.

"No, I'm absolutely huge!" Abby retorted, letting the hug linger.

Meanwhile, McGee offered an apology for her earlier outburst. "It's her hormones."

"I deserve her wrath for not staying in touch." Tony replied, filled with regret again.

"I understood but she took it a little harder." McGee stated. Tony nodded his head knowingly as he waited for Abby to approach.

She freed herself from Ziva's embrace and looked over at Tony. "Hello Anthony." She coolly stated.

"Abs." Tony smiled his trademark smile and opened his arms to welcome a hug.

"Don't give me that smile Anthony Dinozzo!" Abby stated, her cold demeanour already melting. "I'm still mad at you." She fell into his arms.

"I missed you Abs." Tony softly said.

"Well you should have stayed in touch." Abby suddenly snapped before smacking his arm. She took her place beside McGee and their child.

All eyes were now on Gibbs. He approached Ziva first. "Ziver, you're looking good." He stated embracing her.

Tony watched as Ziva failed to return the hug. The warmness she shared with McGee, Abby and Tabitha gone, causing Tony to guess Ziva hadn't completely made peace with Gibbs.

"Thank you for coming Jethro." She stated, her business demeanour fully in place as Gibbs awkwardly freed Ziva from his embrace.

Now, all eyes were on him and Tony. There was silence as both men locked eyes. Gibbs was the first to speak. "It's good to see you again Tony." He stated. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in action. I know you'll be the team leader I always knew you could be."

There was silence as Tony continued to stare down Gibbs. "Guys, let me take you to the beach house the Israeli embassy has reserved for you." Ziva said, directing McGee, Abby and Tabitha towards her car.

"Zee, I really don't want you driving." McGee stated. "You have precious cargo here." He was referring to Abby and their child.

"Fine, you drive." She said and tossed her keys to McGee, taking him by surprise. "I am sure Tony can bring Gibbs to the house. There is not enough room in my car."

"Of course Zee." Tony answered, breaking his gaze with Gibbs to look at her. She could tell through his eyes that he was thanking her for giving him the chance to talk to Gibbs alone. She nodded her head, letting him know she understood before she climbed into the car.

The car drove away, leaving Tony to return his gaze onto Gibbs, both men standing with their arms folded, neither one wanting to back down.

* * *

After a few minutes of silence, Gibbs tried to talk again. "Okay Tony, say what you need to say." Gibbs stated, unfolding his arms. "C'mon Dinozzo, Ziva is depending on us to solve this case. We have to work together so just say it…or hit me. Whatever you need to do!"

"Oh, you would just love that, wouldn't you?" Tony hissed.

"Excuse me?" Gibbs asked confused.

"You know if I hit you, Abby and Ziva will be pissed at me!" Tony retorted. "Nobody hits 'daddy'." He expressed inverted commas in the air.

"Why not? Ziva did." Gibbs answered, taking Tony by surprise.

"Ziva took a swing at you?" Tony asked in shock.

"Well no." Gibbs replied. "She pulled out her gun and threatened to kill me, before she broke down in tears, pounding my chest with her fists."

"And let me guess, that was the moment you regretted 'Rule number 12'?" Tony stated.

"No." Gibbs answered. "I regretted it about two minutes after you left D.C."

Tony scoffed in return. "Tony, I was wrong, I'm man enough to admit it." Gibbs continued. "I thought Ziva would get over you, I thought she'd move on. But with every day you didn't call or write, the more withdrawn she became. So I decided to tell her the truth, thinking that maybe you two could work things out."

"But we didn't!" Tony snapped.

"Well that's not my damn fault…at least not all of it!" Gibbs exclaimed, waving his hand furiously at Tony. "Ziva thought you didn't feel the same because you broke off all contact. You…you didn't fight my decision to send you to Rota…"

"Like I could!" Tony barked. "You knew I would go…you knew I wanted to make you proud…follow your orders!"

"If you followed my orders you never would have went there in the first place!" Gibbs argued.

"Well sorr-eee!" Tony spat. "But you can't help who you fall for!"

"I know that!" Gibbs exclaimed, before scratching his head. There was silence. "But c'mon Tony, with your track record, do you blame me?"

"Oh now it comes out!" Tony laughed. "You didn't think I was good enough for your precious Ziver!"

"No, I didn't!" Gibbs agreed. "C'mon Tony, as a field agent, you were one of the best…but as a boyfriend…"

"Yeah well it could have been different with Ziva!" Tony hissed. "But I guess we'll never know."

"At the time I thought what I was doing was for the best." Gibbs stated. "I thought the longer your romance lasted, the more hurt it would cause the team if you did break up. I thought it was better to promote you rather than lose Ziva. I mean, you were getting a step up…who knows what Ziva was gonna face back in Mossad?"

"Well she ended up back there anyway!" Tony snapped.

"And don't you think I regret that everyday?" Gibbs barked. "Especially when she…" He trailed off, raising more questions in Tony's mind. "The point is Ziva needs us both now to get a result on this case. We have to put this behind us and work together. Do you think you can do that? For Ziver?"

"Oh I can do that, I am a professional." Tony answered. "But just so we're clear, I don't answer to you anymore. I'm Team Leader here in Rota, I have home advantage."

"Of course." Gibbs replied, relieved Tony was making an effort to put it behind them.

"C'mon, I'll take you to drop off your things at the beach house." Tony said, walking towards his jeep, with Gibbs following. "They'll be expecting us at the office at 0700 hours."

* * *

_NCIS Headquarters, Rota, Spain…0652_

Arielle Cohen stepped into the elevator to make her way up to the bullpen. She was dressed in white knee length shorts and a lemon and white striped, short sleeved fitted button down shirt. Her hair was pinned up with a few light brown/golden curls hanging down, framing her face.

"Hold the elevator!" She heard a familiar male voice call. She held the door open. Hari Bishon slipped through the elevator doors. They began to slide close. He was wearing jeans and a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"You're coming in here today?" Arielle asked, silently wondering why Hari was not at the embassy.

"Gibbs is in town." Hari answered. "I thought I should be here, saying I was the Control Officer on this op."

"And I thought you just wanted to give Zee some support." Arielle teased, knowing that was the real reason for his visit.

"Why aren't you at the airbase?" Hari asked.

"Ziva said she could manage it by herself." Arielle replied.

"Arielle…if the director…" Hari began complaining.

"Hari, he won't find out." Arielle interrupted. "Ziva is going to greet some old friends at a secure navy airbase. She will not be in any danger."

"It's not her I'm worried about." Hari muttered.

"Don't worry." Arielle stated as the elevator came to a stop. "She will not pull her gun on Gibbs again. She needs him to finish the mission."

They stepped out of the elevator and began walking towards the bullpen, where Kendall was already sitting at her desk, dressed in black trousers and emerald green sleeveless shirt with a ruffled front. Her red luscious hair was hanging down, in natural loose bouncy curls.

She stood up as they approached, her badge clearly on display on her trouser waistband. "Good morning." She stated, with a little caution, her eyes on Hari.

"Morning Ken, no Findley yet?" Arielle replied.

"No, time keeping is not his strong point." Kendall replied, her eyes still on Hari.

"I guess I should introduce myself saying Arielle won't." Hari said, shooting Arielle a daring glance before offering his hand to Kendall. "I'm Officer Hari Bishon, Mossad. I was the control officer for Officer's Eschel's mission."

"Special Agent Kendall Hickey, NCIS, field agent." Kendall replied, shaking his hand.

"So, how long have you been here Ken?" Arielle asked, perching herself on the edge of Kendall's desk.

"I came in at 0600 hours, I wanted to do a little research on Gibbs and his team." Kendall replied. "I'm a little nervous meeting them."

"Don't be." Hari automatically replied.

"You've met them?" Kendall asked.

"We both have." Arielle stated. "In fact, when I started working with Ziva, she sent me to Washington to get some training in forensics, ballistics and I.T."

"So don't be worrying, McGee and Abby are lovely." Hari said.

"And Gibbs?" Kendall asked.

"Well, he's the boss." Arielle replied. "And you'll feel it when you meet him."

There was a ding of the elevator arriving. All three jumped to their feet, expected Tony, Ziva and their guests. They all groaned as they spotted Agent Finley rushing towards them, clipping his badge onto his belt. "Sorry I'm late boss!" He said, already apologising. He looked up, his eyes landing on Hari. "Who the hell are you?"

* * *

It only took a few moments to introduce Hari to Garrett. They had just finished when they heard the ding of the elevator again. They jumped to attention when they saw Ziva step out of the elevator, now dressed in a simple grey knee length shift dress, with a black belt around the waist. Her long dark hair was pinned up. Beside her was Tony, dressed in jeans and a white short-sleeved button down shirt. Behind them were Gibbs and McGee, both dressed in their usual attire, despite the heat. And finally, waddling behind them was Abby, dressed in a black maternity dress and 2 inch heeled platforms, a change from her usual 5-inch platforms. Beside Abby, was little Tabitha, dressed in red shorts and a white t-shirt.

"Hari, you are here?" Ziva stated, a little surprised.

"Of course I am." Hari replied, giving her a quick wink of the eye as he hugged her, before Ziva gave him a quick kiss, which did not go unnoticed by both Tony and Garrett.

"Tony, this is Hari Bishon, the control officer for this case." Ziva stated. "And you already know everyone from Washington."

"Of course." Hari replied. "Nice to see you all again."

"Where's Tabby?" Arielle interrupted.

"She's right here." McGee stated, stepping aside to let his daughter through.

"Hey sweetie!" Arielle squealed, scooping Tabitha into her arms before giving McGee a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hi gorgeous."

"Hi Elle!" McGee replied shyly while Tabitha exclaimed,

"Elle Belle!"

"Arielle, please don't flirt with my husband when I am the size of a house." Abby complained.

"Ah Abs, you're not the size of a house…a loft maybe." Arielle teased before giving her a small hug. She put her attention back onto Tabitha, still in her arms. "Hey Tabs, will take mummy down to see the forensic lab?" The little girl nodded her head happily.

"Oh yes please!" Abby sighed. "I'm already missing my own lab."

"Well wait to see their equipment, it's so basic!" Arielle said, already leading Abby and Tabitha away.

"Girls, please don't distract Milo!" Tony called after them, fearing his easy going M.E. and forensic analyst would start working even slower.

"I'll call down and give him fair warning, boss." Kendall stated, the phone already to her ear.

"Thanks Ken." Tony stated as Gibbs did a double take at Tony being called boss.

"Ken?" Gibbs asked, his mind noting it was a funny name for a girl.

"Oh, Special Agent Kendall Hickey." Kendall stated, putting down the phone after successfully warning Milo of Arielle and Abby's arrival. She offered Gibbs her hand and he shook it.

"You're English?" McGee stated in surprise as he shook her hand after Gibbs.

"Yes." Kendall replied. "I'm from Oxford."

"Sorry, I just can't believe you're English and you work for the US navy." McGee said.

"Oh, well my grandfather was American." Kendall replied. "He was in the US Navy, he came here during World War 2, met my grandmother and decided to stay. Then my father joined the British Navy, as a fighter pilot and through his connections I got a scholarship to go to uni in Georgetown, Washington and my skills were pinpointed for NCIS so here I am."

"And what skills are those?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, anything to do with technology, profiling…oh, and I have a photographic memory." Kendall answered.

"That seems a lot of a probie." Gibbs observed.

"She can more than handle it." Tony defended his field agent, which Kendall returned her appreciation with a smile "She actually turned down a post at the Pentagon to stay a field agent." Tony continued. Now it was McGee's turn to be impressed. "And this is Special Agent Garret Finley, our ballistics expert."

"Ballistics?" Gibbs questioned.

"I had the opportunity to be on the S.W.A.T. Team at the L.A.P.D." Garrett answered. "I did all the training but a chance came up to become a detective and I took it because I love being an investigator…and then a job came up at NCIS and here I am." He smiled smugly at Ziva, who gave a small smile, which did not go unnoticed by Gibbs.

"So who's going to update us on this case?" Gibbs asked.

"I will." Hari stated, standing forward.

"Well, are you waiting for an invitation?" Gibbs barked, taking Hari by surprise.

"No, he was waiting for you to go to MTAC." Ziva replied, defending her officer.

"Then let's go." Gibbs stated, already striding up the stairs towards MTAC. The others followed.

"Wow! You definitely weren't joking about the 'Boss' feeling." Kendall whispered to Hari as they followed. Hari smiled.

"Don't worry, his bark is worse than his bite." Hari reassured her as they continued following the rest of the team up to MTAC.

**To be continued…**

**Next chapter preview…Ziva and Gibbs finally talk, as do Tony and Abby. **

**As always, feedback and reviews, good or bad, are welcomed. **


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi guys. Thanks again to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this fic. I hope you enjoy this chapter and it isn't disappointing. Please feel free to comment and review. I'd really appreciate your comments, good or bad. Oh, and I just wanted to point out that I don't know any of the names of the machines in Abby's lab so if I tried to bluff it. Sorry. **

**Chapter 7**

Gibbs, McGee, Ziva, Tony, Hari, Kendall and Garrett were in MTAC; Hari had just finished briefing Gibbs and McGee on all the Intel gathered.

"Are you telling me that Davidson gave his life for that?" Gibbs snapped, his hands on his hips. "It's practically nothing!"

"Gibbs, it is something." Ziva coolly replied. She was sitting on the edge of one of the communication desks. "We know there is a definite connection to the Nassif brothers and their club…we just need some evidence."

"And hopefully, when we catch Officer Eschel's and Davidson's killer we'll get that evidence." Hari added.

"And how is that going?" Gibbs asked now glaring at Tony.

"We're still try to gather all the alibis for everyone connected to Davidson and Eschel's unit." Tony answered. "And at the moment, because of their on base popularity, we have no other motive other than their cover was blown."

"Plus, as usual whenever the Nassif brothers may be involved, no one wants to talk." Garrett added as he perched himself beside Ziva.

"We are drawing up any data on the SEALs who vacate the club on a regular basis and correlating it to see if there are any known connections to ex-SEALs who left the unit in the last few years." Kendall added.

"Especially the three ex-SEALs we've already pinpointed as being connected to Syria." Hari added.

"Well, at least someone knows what they are doing." Gibbs muttered, referring to Kendall. "So what do you plan on doing now?"

"I think we should send a female agent in the club undercover." Kendall suggested. "I know the Nassif brothers are dangerous but what other option do we have?"

"Ken, we don't have any available female agents." Tony replied.

"So what am I?" Kendall asked. "Last time I checked I was female."

"She does have the right look for the club." Hari stated, looking Kendall up and down. Kendall looked at Tony for his answer.

"Boss, you seriously aren't considering this, are you?" Garrett hissed, a slight hint of protectiveness in his voice.

"No one is going undercover in the club!" Ziva stated.

"But…" Kendall protested, turning her attention to Gibbs, looking for support.

Gibbs glanced at Ziva. He knew that look in her eyes. "Ziva is right Agent Hickey, it would be too dangerous." Gibbs answered. "If a Officer of Mossad and one of our best Navy SEALs can't escape the wrath of the Nassif brothers, I'm not going to agree to sending in an inexperienced field agent."

Kendall now turned to Tony for support. "Sorry Ken, I know you think you can do it but I'm not risking your life." Tony said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll get them."

"How?" Kendall asked.

"How about good old fashioned surveillance?" McGee suggested. "Follow a few of the guys who regularly visit the club and have connections to the ex-SEALs linked to the terrorists."

"Can I volunteer my services to carry out surveillance within the club?" Garrett joked, raising his hand in the air.

"I don't think so." Ziva replied, knocking her thigh against his. They looked at each other, their eyes locking, a small smile developing on both their lips, which did not go unnoticed by Gibbs.

"If this is going to work we need to have that data asap!" Hari stated.

"I'm working as hard as I can to correlate it all together." Kendall replied.

"Well maybe I can help." McGee offered. "Just lead me to your cyber crimes unit."

"Cyber crimes unit?" Kendal asked, confused.

"Just lead me to a free computer." McGee answered, realising they didn't have a cyber crimes unit.

"Oh, right!" Kendall sighed with relief before leading him out of MTAC. Gibbs also began to head out of MTAC.

"Where are you going Gibbs?" Ziva asked, getting up to follow him, leaving Garrett alone at the communications desk.

"To pay my respects to Davidson's family." Gibbs replied.

"Well, let me come too." Ziva offered.

Gibbs sighed, before nodding his head in agreement, leaving only Tony, Hari and Garrett in MTAC.

"So what now boss?" Garrett asked, making his way over to Tony and Hari.

"You and Hari chase up the alibis." Tony replied, already heading out of MTAC to make his way to the forensics lab.

"Okay…boss!" Garrett called after him, tailing off in the end.

* * *

_The Forensics Lab, Rota…0812_

Abby had received an overview of all of the available equipment in the forensic lab in the last hour. In that time, her jaw had not left the floor. "So where is your Mass Spector?" She asked Milo.

"I don't have one." Milo replied, distracted by the small child, pressing the buttons on the little equipment he had. "Although, if I ever do need it, I can always get use of the one in Madrid. I think I did that about three times before."

"You've only had to use it three times?" Abby gasped. "I use mine non-stop everyday!"

"I did warn you it was pretty basic Abs." Arielle stated. "Here Tabitha." She handed the small child a DNA swab stick. Tabitha automatically began tapping against the desk, humming to her own rhythm.

"But no Mass Spector?" Abby gasped. "How do you do your job?"

"Using good old fashioned science." Milo replied.

Just then, Tony entered the lab. "Tony!" Abby squealed, taking everyone, apart from Tabitha, by surprise. She was obviously well used to her mother's stages of hysteria. "How is Milo here meant to do his job without a Mass Spector?"

"He manages Abs." Tony replied.

"I'm going to have words with Director Vance when I get back to D.C." Abby stated.

"Really Abby?" Tony smirked, remembering all the times over the years that Abby would rant about giving the Director a piece of her mind only to back down at the sight of him.

"Well, I'll probably write him a strongly worded email…when I'm off on my maternity leave." Abby retorted.

"I guess some things haven't changed." Tony mumbled, a small smile of relief on his lips. He handed Milo a few reports. "Milo, I want you to go over the autopsy again."

"Why boss?" Milo asked, already looking over the files. "Do you think I missed something?"

"I'd hardly blame him, working in these Stone Age conditions." Abby muttered under her breath.

"No, I just have a new line of enquiry." Tony replied. "I pulled some of the unsolved murders from Barcelona, Sicily, Toulouse and Madrid were the Nassif brothers were suspects. I just want to see if there are any similarities."

"On it boss!" Milo said and exited the lab the fastest Tony had ever saw him go, obviously thankful for the excuse to get away from the intensity of Abby. Milo was, after all, too easy going to survive her intensity for too long.

There was silence, apart from the gently humming and tapping from Tabitha. "I um…I think I'll go and check what Ziva needs." Arielle said, sensing a little tension between Abby and Tony.

"She's gone out." Tony replied.

"Where?" Arielle automatically snapped, a little panicked that Ziva didn't check in with her first.

"She's taking Gibbs to see Davidson's family." Tony replied. "He wants to pay his respects."

"Oh." Arielle sighed, automatically relaxing, knowing Ziva was safe with Gibbs. "Well then, I guess me and Tabitha will go get a breakfast smoothie, huh Tabs?"

"Oothie, yum!" Tabitha exclaimed as Arielle scooped Tabitha up into her arms. She stopped beside Abby, to let Tabitha kiss her mummy goodbye before leaving.

There was silence again. Abby stared at the worktop, tracing her finger along it's cool steel, anything to avoid Tony's pleading eyes.

"Abby…" He began, his voice soft.

"Don't!" Abby pleaded, not looking up.

"Abby…" Tony stated again, this time with a hint of urgency in his voice.

She finally looked him in the eye. "What? Is this where we have a little heart to heart and everything is forgiven? Well, it's not that easy." She snapped, trying to stay firm.

"I know." Tony stated, slightly surprised by her firmness. "And I'm not asking for forgiveness…and I don't want you to forget either but I do want us to be friends again. Abby, it is clear I missed a lot in the last five years and I know it's my own fault but now you're here, I have to try and make up for it."

"Fine." Abby sighed reluctantly. "I guess we could go for a Caf Pow, decaf of course."

"Of course." Tony agreed, a small smile on his lips as he watched Abby carefully ease herself off the stool.

* * *

Ziva drove along the quiet streets of Rota, occasionally glancing over at Gibbs. They had not spoken one word since they had left the base. "Gibbs, I just want to say I am sorry for what happened Davidson." She finally spoke.

"Why? It's not like you killed him." Gibbs retorted, looking out of his passenger side window.

"No, but he did die helping our cause." Ziva replied. "And I know it seems that he died for nothing but we will get the recruiter…and the Nassif brothers, especially now you are on the case. His death will not be for nothing."

"Does Tony know your past with the Nassif brothers?" Gibbs asked, finally looking over at Ziva.

"There is no need to tell him." Ziva replied.

"Ziva…" Gibbs argued. Ziva sighed.

"I have only just met Tony again after five years apart." She stated. "My main concern was working with him without an atmosphere. Telling him about…" She trailed off. "It is not something I can share so easily."

"But I think he should know." Gibbs argued.

"What good would it do?" Ziva countered. "Remember how he reacted to finding out how I was nearly blown up in Morocco? I need Tony to stay focused."

"And sleeping with his senior field agent will help him stay focused." Gibbs muttered.

"Excuse me?" Ziva snapped.

"Ziva, I am not blind." Gibbs retorted. "I am surprised Tony hasn't noticed himself, or maybe he has and he's in denial."

"I am not sleeping with Agent Finley!" Ziva scoffed.

"But you were." Gibbs replied. Ziva sighed.

"It was a vacation fling and as soon as we both realised who we were, we stopped it." Ziva answered.

"Ziva…I think you should tell Tony." Gibbs suggested.

Ziva laughed. "Please do not try and give me advice when it comes to Tony. You lost that right five years ago when you transferred him here." Ziva coolly stated.

"I just think starting a relationship on a lie will cause more harm Ziva." Gibbs replied. "This is your second chance to be together…don't blow it."

"Tony and I are not starting a relationship again Gibbs." Ziva said. "We have both moved on…and I do not appreciate you using the situation as a chance to ease your guilt."

"Ziver…" Gibbs began, his voice soft. The car came to a stop.

"We are here." Ziva coolly stated, no longer wanting to continue the discussion. In front of them was a one storey, three-bedroom home with an American flag flying proudly, despite the grief felt inside.

Gibbs nodded his head solemnly, knowing there was no point in continuing the discussion.

* * *

Abby forced herself into a seat at the outdoor patio of the local beach view café while Tony sat both their coffees on the table, before slipping into a seat himself. A small smile of amusement spread across his lips as he watched Abby shift herself and her growing bump into a more comfortable position.

"What's so funny?" She asked, before taking a sip of her decaffeinated coffee. Unfortunately, Caf Pow was not available in Spain.

"Sorry, it's just, I'm still struggling to get used to you and McGee being parents." Tony replied.

"Well if you had stayed in touch, you would have had a few years to get used to it." Abby retorted. She could see the regret and sadness automatically spring to Tony's eyes. "Sorry Tony."

"No, I deserve it." Tony said. "I really regret missing out on your wedding."

"I did send you an invite." Abby said.

"Yeah, don't take offence but after the first month of you bombarding me with emails, I kinda marked you as spam." Tony replied, his eyes focusing on his finger that was tracing the rim of his coffee cup. "I just…I wanted a clean break. Reading your emails, they just made me think of Ziva and how much I missed her…and you too of course."

"You really did care for her, didn't you?" Abby observed.

Finally, Tony looked up. "I wouldn't have risked breaking rule number 12 for an office fling." Tony stated. "I'd been fighting my feelings for Ziva for too long."

"So why didn't you just tell Gibbs that?" Abby asked.

Tony quietly laughed. "If only it was that simple." He sighed. "Truth is Abs, I was angry that he automatically assumed Zee and I wouldn't work out, that I would screw up and destroy the team. I already had that doubt in my mind and he just magnified it. Plus, there was a promotion on offer. Part of me thought this was my chance to show him what I'm made of, maybe earn his respect…prove to him that I was good enough for _his_ Ziver."

Abby nodded her head understandingly and then reached across to take his hand in hers. "He did respect you Tony…and he missed you like mad." Abby said. "For the first few months after you left, nothing Tim could do was right…he wasn't you…and Gibbs knew it."

"I guess me leaving did throw McGoo into the deep end." Tony sighed.

"But he got there…with Ziva's help." Abby said. "The good thing was it gave her something to focus on, taking her mind off you. But when Tim finally reached a high enough standard to please Gibbs, without Tim to focus on, we all quickly realised how unhappy Ziva was, especially Gibbs…which is why he told her the truth…and that's when it all fell apart."

"But at least you and McGee got together." Tony observed.

"Yeah, I guess every cloud has a silver lining." Abby agreed, with a small smile. "Part of me still believes that McGee and I getting together was the only reason she stuck around. She could still believe we were a family…we all could."

"So why did she finally leave NCIS?" Tony asked.

"Things between Gibbs and her were so strained." Abby replied. "She couldn't turn to him the way she used to…instead she turned to Director Vance which made Gibbs and Vance's game of cat and mouse unbearable. Suddenly, the Director had leverage over Gibbs and well, we couldn't be a team anymore, not with Ziva becoming the Director's confidante."

"So she returned to Mossad." Tony concluded.

"Pretty much." Abby replied, releasing Tony's hand. She began to sip her coffee again.

"Abby, what happened Ziva when she returned to Mossad?" Tony asked.

"You know, enough about Ziva." Abby said, desperately trying to change the subject. "I never really asked if you liked living here in Rota."

"Abby!" Tony pleaded. "I know something happened but nobody will tell me what."

"Because it isn't our place Tony." Abby replied.

"Since when did you start keeping secrets?" Tony asked.

"It's not a secret Tony…but it's also not my place to tell you." Abby answered. "All I know is the Ziva you once knew is gone and she's not coming back. Someone like Ziva can only face death so many times before part of her dies too." There was silence. "So Tony, do you like living in Rota?"

"You really want to change the subject, don't you?" Tony retorted.

"Yes." Abby simply replied. "So do you like living in Rota?"

"It took we a while to get used to small town life and having no big cases to chase but yeah, I like it…it feels like home." Tony replied.

"Good…I'm glad." Abby said with a smile. "And you've made friends?"

"Not as good as my friends back at D.C., but yes I have." Tony answered.

"Well, of course no one could top your friends in D.C." Abby stated with a smile, knowing she was one of them. "And the senoritas…are they to your liking?" Tony gave a small nervous laugh. "C'mon Tony, when have you ever been shy or nervous about the ladies?"

"I think we should head back to the office." Tony stated, beginning to stand up.

"Tony, have you a girlfriend?" Abby asked. He didn't respond. "Oh my God! You do."

"Abby…" Tony began.

"Tell me Tony!" Abby requested, her voice firm.

"I…her name is Carmela and we're engaged to be married in two months." He stuttered, closing his eyes, anticipating Abby's wrath.

"And I'm assuming Ziva doesn't know." Abby said, trying to remain calm.

"Well, everything has been so professional and focused on the case…the moment hasn't really come up." Tony tried to explain.

"Tony…" Abby sighed.

"Look Abby, the case will be closed soon and she'll be leaving." Tony protested. "There is no reason to tell her."

"Yes there is Tony." Abby stated firmly. "I had to pick up the pieces the last time you broke her heart, I won't do it again."

They were interrupted by Tony's cell phone ringing. Tony answered it.

"Hey boss, where are you?" Kendall asked.

"I'm having coffee with Abby, why?" Tony replied.

"Well can you come back to the office?" Kendall asked. "Tim and I got the correlation of our data done and I think we have a few suspects."

"We'll be there in 5." Tony said.

"Okay and can I just say…Tim totally rocks. Can we keep him and send Garrett back to D.C.?" Kendall requested.

Tony couldn't help but smile. "No Ken, we can't." He stated before hanging up.

"Problem?" Abby asked.

"Yeah, you're husband got himself an admirer." Tony joked as he helped Abby out of her seat.

"Ugh! I wish Arielle would leave him alone." Abby sighed, causing Tony to quietly laugh. "And I meant what I said Tony…tell Ziva." The laughter stopped.

"Yes Abby." Tony reluctantly agreed as they headed back to the navy base.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…Will Tony tell Ziva about Carmela as the surveillance operation begins?**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Thanks to anyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I know myself it wasn't one of my best and the reduced number of reviews confirmed my thoughts. I hope you enjoy this chapter more because I know I enjoyed writing it. As always, all reviews and feedback are extremely welcome, good or bad!**

**Chapter 8**

Kendall Hickey walked towards the bullpen, carrying a file in her left hand, a small, satisfied smile fixed on her lips.

"Okay Ken, I got your page, what's up?" Garrett asked as he stepped out of the elevator and fell into stride with her.

"Tim and I think we got ourselves some suspects." She happily replied. "I swear Gar, he's like a human search engine. There is no limit to his knowledge. I've learnt so much from him in the space of a few hours. He's just so different to work with…he makes it fun…he makes me love this job…I wish I could work with him all the time."

"Gee thanks!" Garrett muttered.

"Well, let's face it Gar, you don't exactly treat me like an equal." Kendall stated.

"Because you're not an equal, you're a probie." Garrett retorted.

Kendall rolled her eyes before speaking again. "So, what have you been working on?" She asked.

"Alibis…with Hari." Garrett replied.

"So how did it go?" Kendall asked as they headed towards the conference room.

"Everyone has air tight alibis, some even have three or four witnesses." Garrett stated.

"Huh, well…if you were in league with the Nassif brothers, some of those alibis could have been bought…especially the ones with numerous witnesses." Kendall suggested. "After all, there is strength in numbers."

"I never thought about that." Garrett pondered as Kendall glanced over the sheet of paper Garrett was carrying.

"Yep, two of those guys with numerous alibis are on mine and Tim's suspect list." Kendall replied.

"Wow! You're really on it today. Did you take some kind of super-investigator pill or something?" Garrett asked.

"Nope, I just think my brain is actually getting some exercise now that we have an actual case to test me." Kendall replied. "Isn't it great?"

"Oh yeah, it's so great that a SEAL and an officer of Mossad had to be killed to give you an actual case." Garrett muttered sarcastically.

"I didn't mean that!" Kendall tried to explain, before crashing into Garrett, who had stopped suddenly in the doorway of the conference room. "What the hell…?" She began to ask before she followed his gaze.

He was focused on Hari and Ziva, who were standing at the other end of the conference room, deep in conversation. He watched as Hari's fingers traced up and down Ziva's arms in a soothing motion, before he moved one hand to her cheek to gently brush a strand of hair behind Ziva's ear.

"Huh, she sure gets around." Kendall muttered, causing Garrett's head to spin around to look at her. "Careful Gar, we wouldn't want anyone thinking you were a jealous lover, would we?"

She brushed past him and headed towards Gibbs, McGee, Arielle and Tabitha, who were at the closest end of the conference table to take her seat.

"C'mon Finley, what's the hold up?" Tony voice suddenly asked from behind.

"Huh, nothing boss." Garrett stuttered in reply before taking his seat.

Tony helped Abby towards her seat before his own eyes rested on Hari and Ziva, still deep in conversation. He watched as Hari continued to stroke her arms while trying to make her smile.

He couldn't help but wonder what was going on between them. They were definitely too comfortable with each other to simply be a Director and Control Officer respectively. He shook his head and took his seat. He had no right to those thoughts anymore…he lost all rights when he walked out on her five years ago.

* * *

_20 minutes later…the conference room _

_ NCIS Headquarters, Rota_

McGee and Kendall stood before the rest of the team, beside the projection screen. Three images appeared on screen, one after the other. "Thanks to Mossad's Intel…" McGee began to say. "We are aware the following men, all former SEALs, based here in Rota over the last four years have been connected to Syrian terrorists, who have attempted to carry out various attacks on Mossad and the Israeli people."

"The first is James Wilson, 35 from Chicago." McGee said. "He received a dishonourable discharge for bringing the US Navy and the SEALs into disrepute after a bar brawl. Mossad have been tracking him for the last 3 years. He is currently in Syria."

"The next is Dan Kerr, 37 from Long Island." Kendall said. "He received an honourable discharge 2 ½ years ago on medical grounds. Mossad have been tracking him for the last 2 years. He is currently in Syria."

"The final suspect terrorist is Cooper Sampson, 31 from California." Kendall said. "He received a dishonourable discharge for a failed drug test 18 months ago and has been tracked by Mossad since then and is currently in Barcelona."

"Using a database myself and Kendall created, we tried to match any of Davidson's platoon who regularly visited the Nassif brothers' club to any of the three suspects." McGee stated. "And we've come up with the following…"

"What? No technical gobbly goop?" Tony asked. "I'm disappointed McGeek."

"Gibbs slapped that habit out of him pretty quickly." Abby whispered to Tony, with a sleeping Tabitha cuddled into her.

"Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…" McGee continued, shooting 'daggers' towards Tony. "…we have compiled the following…"

"The first match was Tucker Benton, 38 from Long Island." Kendall stated. "He signed up with his best friend Dan Kerr when they were 19 and 18 years old respectively. They have served together since that day until Kerr's honourable discharge."

"Although Davidson was extremely popular amongst his platoon, there was some scuttlebutt that Benton was upset that Davidson was platoon leader as Benton felt he was better suited to the role due to his seniority." McGee stated.

"And the scuttlebutt also suggested Benton would not be Davidson's replacement which could cause some ill feeling on Benton's part." Kendall added.

"Our last match was Chad Sampson, 29…Cooper Sampson's little brother." McGee stated. "He has an exceptionally clean record, was one of Davidson's star performers, despite the fact it was Davidson who reported Cooper to the board for his drug use."

"Scuttlebutt suggests that Chad had no issue with Davidson over this, in fact, it seems like he flourished without his brother but he does still have regular contact with his brother." Kendall stated. "In fact, he visited his brother in Barcelona three weeks ago while on leave."

"He also has a similar routine to Benton when it comes to visiting La Bonita's, in fact they practically match." McGee stated. "Every other member of the platoon had a pretty erratic record of attending La Bonita's."

"But both of these men have air tight alibis." Gibbs said, looking up from the file he was reading. "They have multiple witnesses."

"Well Kendall has her own theory on that." Garrett spoke out.

"And that is?" Gibbs questioned, staring down Kendall.

"Well, if you are connected to the Nassif brothers, alibis could be easily bought, either through money or fear." Kendall answered nervously.

"Huh, good work Ken." Gibbs muttered. A smile spread across Kendall's lips. Tony winked his approval, showing he was proud of her while McGee gave her a gentle pat on the back.

Hari stood up and began passing out more Intel. "Okay, now we have our suspects, here is the intelligence Eschel gathered before his cover was blown." He said. "You'll find it includes details of Sampson and Benton's daily routines, including their visits to the club. Now we just need to work out a surveillance schedule and who's working with who."

* * *

_30 minutes later…_

The team began to file out of the conference room, talking amongst themselves. They had finally decided on the pairings to carry out the surveillance. The pairings were Tony and Ziva, Kendall and McGee, Hari and Gibbs and Arielle and Garrett. Abby would look after Tabitha and Milo would stay in his lab.

Tony walked out of the conference room, wondering how he got paired with Ziva. It wasn't what he planned. He had no idea how it came about. Suddenly, it was just arranged.

He felt someone gently knock him. He spun around to face Ziva. "So, it seems we are working together again." She joked. "Just like old times."

"Uh huh." He muttered.

"It should be fun." She stated, a warm smile lightening up her face.

"Yep, it always was." Tony replied, silently wondering if Ziva could tell how awkward he was feeling.

"Listen, I want to pop back to my place in Santa Maria before our shift starts to change." Ziva said. "Arielle is paired with Garrett so…"

"I can drive you." Tony offered, knowing it was what she wanted.

"Thanks partner." She replied, before playfully punching him on the arm. She ran ahead to talk to Arielle, while Tony watched, his mind whirling, still debating how he found himself in this situation.

* * *

Kendall entered the bullpen to find Garrett at his desk, trying to get things organised before his surveillance operation had to start with Arielle.

"Hey." Kendall said, perching herself on his desk.

"Hey, I thought you'd be away home to catch up on some sleep before your shift starts." Garrett said, not looking up from his computer screen. "I'm sure you're happy with your pairing…McGee. You'll be the font of all knowledge the next time I see you."

"Hardly." Kendall said, brushing off his comment. "He can't teach me street smarts…the kinda stuff you'll only learn from an ex-copper." She was referring to both Garrett and Tony. Garrett finally looked up at her. "I just, I wanted to apologise for my earlier comments. When I wished I could work with Tim all the time, I didn't mean that I didn't want to work with you anymore. I mean, sure, you drive me crazy but we're partners and I know I still have a lot to learn from you and I'm looking forward to it."

"Ken, it's cool…no offence was taken." Garrett answered before returning to his computer screen.

Kendall nodded solemnly before sliding off the desk. She turned to walk away but stopped and turned to face Garrett again. "Gar, I just wanted to say thanks for speaking out for me in there, with Gibbs…I really appreciate it."

"You deserved it Ken, you worked hard today." Garrett answered. "You deserved some praise."

"Yeah but…" Kendall began.

"No buts Ken." Garrett said, looking her in the eye again. "We're a team…I'm always going to have your back."

Kendall nodded her head again before speaking. "Well saying we're a team I guess I should share some information with you."

"And what's that?" Garrett asked.

"I don't even know if I should be saying this because what is going on between you could destroy this team but…" Kendall began but trailed off.

"Just spit it out Ken." Garrett stated, losing patience.

"There is nothing going on between Ziva and Hari." Kendall finally said.

"And you know this because…?" Garrett questioned.

"Because Hari is gay." Kendall replied. "When you hit on as many as gay guys as I have in the past, gaydar kicks in at some point."

"Thanks Ken." Garrett said, fighting the urge to smile.

Kendall nodded her head solemnly again, debating whether or not she should walk away. She stayed put. "Garrett, if you want to fall for a girl then please do." She began to say. "It would make a change from the 101 floosies I've saw come through here since I arrived a year ago. But, please don't fall for our boss' ex." She was pleading with him, begging him.

"Go home and get some sleep Kendall." He replied. She nodded her head and left Garrett to his thoughts.

* * *

_1½ hours later…Ziva's penthouse hotel suite, Santa Maria, Spain_

Tony stood in Ziva's small kitchenette, leaning up against the breakfast bar, his cell phone in his hands, his finger hovering over Carmela's name.

"Thanks for driving me back here Tony." Ziva called from her bedroom.

"Huh, no problem." Tony muttered in replied, his train of thought disrupted.

"It is just, those stuffy office clothes I have to wear…they are not very comfortable for a stake out." She called. "I now have a lot more respect for you wearing suits during stakeouts."

"Yeah, well sometimes fashion means pain." Tony replied.

"Too true." Ziva laughed as she entered the kitchenette area. She was dressed in jeans, a white cami and a purple, white and blue checked button down shirt. Her hair was hanging down in loose bouncy curls and she had removed all make up.

Tony felt his lips turned into a smile. This was the Ziva he remembered…the Ziva he loved.

"What?" Ziva asked nervously as she grabbed a candy dish from beside the microwave, containing some jewellery. Arielle and herself would often throw their jewellery there after a night of partying and midnight snacking. "Do I not look okay?"

"No." Tony laughed but stopped when he saw the panic in her eyes. "I mean, you look amazing…more than amazing, you look like the Zee-vah Da-veed I remember."

A small smile crept along Ziva's lips as she selected a simple white gold chain with an open-heart pendant to wear around her neck. "It is funny the things you miss…you pronouncing my name in that manner…that I missed." She softly said, before beginning to put on the chain.

"You know what I miss?" Tony asked, stepping towards her. His fingers gently grazed the chain and pendant before he looked Ziva in the eye. "Your Star of David. I couldn't help but notice it in the possession of little Tabitha. You lose your faith Ziva?"

"No." She replied, stepping back from Tony, causing him to realise how close he actually was to her. "I am still Jewish." She lifted a purple clutch purse from the sofa.

"So why does Tabitha have your chain?" Tony asked, stepping back himself, exiting her personal space. "Because I know she's not Jewish."

"I gave it to her to protect her…and let her have a part of her Auntie Zee Zee as I can not visit as often as I want." Ziva replied, her eyes focused on the clutch purse in her hands, double checking it's contents. "That chain, it protected me through a lot and I hope it does the same for Tabitha."

"So if that is protecting Tabitha, who is protecting you?" Tony asked.

Ziva looked up at Tony, a wry smile on her lips. "Tony, I know that you have asked enough questions to have the answers." Ziva replied. "I know you know that Arielle is more than an assistant to me."

"What I don't have the answer to is why you need her." Tony retorted. "What happened you Ziva? What happened my ninja?"

He watched as Ziva's wry smile disappeared and her eyes glazed over momentarily with tears. Then he felt the heat radiate off her as she stepped towards him and gently placed her hand on his chest.

"Tony, we had five years apart." Ziva softly stated, looking up at him. "I do not know every aspect of your life during that time but I trust you will tell me what I need to know."

Images of Carmela and Abby flashed through Tony's mind. He knew he needed to tell Ziva about Carmela and he had avoided it the whole car journey over. Now, he couldn't tell her, at least not at this moment, he didn't have the strength. He remained silent.

"So why can you not trust me?" Ziva continued. "Why can you not wait until I am ready to tell you?" Again, Tony remained silent. "Tony, when we were talking about before, about what we missed, the one thing I really miss is _**us**_…and the way we used to be; before Gibbs; before rule number 12. Do you not miss it?"

Tony raised his free hand, the one that wasn't clutching his cell phone, and gently stroked her cheek. "Yeah Zee, I do." He softly answered, his own skin tingling, remembering how it felt to touch her.

"So why are we hauling up the past?" Ziva asked as Tony removed his hand.

"I think you mean 'DRAGGING' up the past." Tony corrected, which received a small slap on the arm from Ziva.

"That I did not miss." Ziva teased, a smile on her lips. "Come on, we have a surveillance operation to begin."

"Yes we do." Tony agreed, automatically slipping his hand into hers as they left the hotel suite. Suddenly his cell phone began to ring.

Ziva stopped in her tracks. "Do you need to get that?" She asked.

Tony glanced down at the cell phone in the palm of his hand. The name 'Carmela' continuously flashed on the screen. After a little hesitation, he selected 'Ignore'. "No, it's fine." He answered, which was met with a warm smile from Ziva.

They continued to walk away, hand in hand, Ziva, completely unaware of what had just taken place, Tony however, was more than aware. Yes, Ziva needed to know the truth about himself and Carmela, but not now, not tonight.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter Preview…The stake out/surveillance operations continue**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who is continuing to read and review this fic. I really appreciate it, especially as it it is not the typical happy heavy loaded Tiva fic but it will get there in the end. As usual, all reviews and feedback, good or bad, is welcomed. **

**Chapter 9**

_A few days later…_

_Sandino's Coffee Bar, Rota, Spain…0736_

Arielle and Garrett were sitting outside the coffee bar, at a table. Arielle was dressed in a white sleeveless, button down top shirt and denim shorts. Her light brown, slightly curled hair, with golden highlights, was up in a ponytail, using a butterfly grip. She had a pair of sunglasses sitting on top of her head. She had a newspaper crossword in front of her and a cup of coffee in her left hand.

Garrett was dressed in jeans and a blue logo t-shirt. He had a camera in his hand, pretending to be trying to correct the settings, when he really had the camera focused on inside the café.

Inside the café stood Tucker Benton, purchasing a coffee. He was tall, extremely well built, with tan skin, a shaved head, defining jaw and smallish, grey eyes. He was wearing jeans and a grey, sleeveless t-shirt; his U.S. Navy SEALs logo tattoo clearly exposed on his right bicep.

He did not notice the clicking of the camera. To anyone around, it looked like a silly tourist, trying to figure out how to work his camera.

"This is so boring." Garrett muttered through his teeth. "I don't think we are getting anywhere with this."

"Patience Garrett, stakeouts take time." Arielle replied quietly, writing down notes of their observations. To a passer-by, it looked like she was completing a crossword.

"Maybe we should have someone in the club." Garrett sighed as he photographed Benton picking up a newspaper to read.

"For the last time Gar, you are not carrying out surveillance within the club." Arielle hissed between her teeth, a smile fixed on her lips.

"I didn't mean me." Garrett replied. "I meant sending in a female."

"The only female we have is Agent Hickey and if I remember correctly, you vetoed that idea." Arielle said.

"She's too inexperienced." Garrett quickly retorted, before taking a photo of Benton scribbling something onto the paper he was reading.

"You should really have more faith in Kendall, she's quite good at her job." Arielle stated.

"I know." Garrett muttered.

"So why don't you tell her?" Arielle asked.

"I give Ken praise when it's due." Garrett retorted.

"Of course you do." Arielle sighed. There was silence.

"When I was talking about putting a female in the club, I was actually thinking of you." Garrett spoke again, breaking the silence.

"Garrett, you're forgetting that the Nassif brothers are well aware of who I am." Arielle replied. "I have been on an undercover mission before, relating to them."

"But I'm sure you changed your appearance." Garrett said.

"Yes a girl can change her appearance but there are certain things a girl can't hide in a strip club." Arielle said.

"So your undercover mission with the Nassif brothers involved you and Ziva getting up close and personal then." Garrett summarized.

"You know, I really don't want to discuss this anymore." Arielle said, pulling the sunglasses down over her eyes.

"C'mon Arielle, any info you or Ziva have on the Nassif brothers could help us." Garrett said.

"Trust me, Hari got any information we obtained." Arielle pointed out.

"Why do I get the feeling something happened when you and Ziva were undercover?" Garrett stated.

"Let's just drop it." Arielle said.

"Why?" Garrett asked.

"Because our mark is making a move." Arielle replied.

Garrett looked into the café to find Tucker Benton leaving the newspaper he scribbled on behind as he left the table he was sitting at. Garrett quickly snapped a few photos. About a minute later, another man, slightly shorter and heavier, with tanned skin moved towards the table and collected the newspaper before leaving the café.

"Well, well…look who we have." Garrett said after he finished snapping the photos.

"Did you just get that on camera?" Arielle asked.

"Yep, I have one of the Nassif goons picking up Benton's paper on film." Garrett replied proudly.

* * *

_The Bullpen…0819_

Tony sat at his desk, catching up on his paperwork before his stakeout shift began with Ziva in a few hours. His desk phone began to ring. "Special Agent Dinozzo." He said automatically as he answered the phone.

"Morning baby." A familiar, sweet, seductive voice spoke.

"Carm, morning sweetie." He said, quickly registering who was on the other end of the phone line.

"You didn't waken me this morning." She sighed.

"Yeah, I had to leave early." Tony explained. "I had a lot of paperwork to catch up on."

"But I missed you…and your special wake up call." She softly whispered. He could tell she was pretending to pout.

"Yeah, and I certainly missed giving you your wake up call but you looked so peaceful sleeping." He replied.

"Well you can make it up to me now." She softly said. "Guess what I'm wearing?"

"Carmela." He nervously laughed.

"I'll give you a clue." She teased. "There's very little clothing involved…if any."

"Ugh, please don't do this to me." He groaned, which was met with a giggle. "I'm serious Carm, we can't do this right now."

"Why? It wouldn't be the first time." Carmela teased.

"Sweetie, I have a double murder to solve." He replied, his eyes catching Ziva upstairs, outside MTAC with Hari, deep in conversation. He could hear Carmela sigh deeply.

"Tony, I thought the sex was meant to stop after we got married, not before." She stated. "We haven't had sex in over a week."

"Sweetie, I will make it up to you." He apologised. "Once I solve this case, I promise."

"Whatever!" Carmela muttered, before hanging up.

Tony put down the phone, groaned and shook his hands and head with frustration. He knew he was in trouble when he got home. They already had an argument when he never took her call when he was with Ziva.

The only thing that ever bothered him about his future wife was her unrealistic demands. Her father had spoilt her rotten, made her the centre of his world, and because of that, she demanded the same from Tony. Most of the time he could manage it, but she had to realise he was a federal agent and his job would have to come first at times.

"Problems with the future Mrs Dinozzo?" He heard McGee's familiar voice asked. His head shot up to look at him, wondering how he knew about Carmela. He hadn't even seen or heard McGee entering the bullpen. "Abby told me." McGee automatically explained, as if reading his mind. "We're married which means there are no secrets between us…something I think you and your fiancée need to learn."

"We don't have secrets." Tony replied defensively.

"So she knows you're working a case with your ex?" McGee asked.

"Well no…but I can't discuss the case with her." Tony answered.

"Of course you can't." McGee quietly laughed, perching himself on Tony's desk. "And I guess you haven't told Ziva about your impending marriage because…"

"It's complicated Probie." Tony muttered.

"It always was when it came to you two." McGee stated. "But she still needs to know."

"Why? It would only hurt her and jeopardise the case." Tony pointed out.

"Yeah, it might." McGee agreed. "But at least she'd know where she stands with you."

"She already does." Tony retorted. "She knows we're just working a case together, nothing else."

"Really? So why does she have that 'look' in her eyes?" McGee asked.

"What 'look'?" Tony asked.

"You know the 'look', she gave it to you throughout your partnership." McGee replied.

Tony nodded. He knew the 'look', he had tried to ignore it for so many years, especially when he was Jeanne, but he couldn't ignore any longer and he finally gave in and broke rule number 12. Now, he had seen the 'look' again, especially when they were on stakeouts over the last few days. He had told himself to ignore it; that it was wishful thinking; that things hadn't changed, even though they had.

"Look, I'm just saying this 'cause Ziva's had a tough time lately." McGee said. "I don't think she could take any more hurt."

"And I don't plan on hurting her." Tony retorted. "We're partners, that's all."

"Fine, if that's what you say." McGee stated.

"Look, is there another reason why you came over here?" Tony snapped. He was getting a little pissed off by everyone telling him that Ziva had a tough time but no one would actually tell him why.

"Yeah actually, I just wanted to tell you that Agent Hickey is a pretty good agent." McGee said.

"Yep, she's good alright." Tony replied, taking a little pride in McGee's compliment.

"So good, Gibbs and I were considering offering her a job in D.C." McGee stated.

"What?" Tony exclaimed.

"C'mon Tony, anyone can see she is wasted here." McGee replied. "She'd be great in D.C."

"She's great here in Rota!" Tony argued.

"Oh yeah, solving petty crimes is really bringing out her best." McGee muttered sarcastically. "C'mon Tony, do the right thing…put her career, rather than the team, first for once."

"Without Ken, I don't have much of a team." Tony retorted. "I would need three agents to cover all her skills."

"Well, you wouldn't lose her forever." McGee countered.

"What do you mean?" Tony snapped. "You'd take her to D.C., show her the bright lights then dump her back here? She'd never be happy back here after being in D.C.!"

"Actually, I was thinking you could join her back in D.C. in a year or two." McGee replied.

"What? Tony asked, confused.

"Between you and me, Gibbs will be retiring soon." McGee explained. "Vance has been making some noise that I may have to step up to replace him but I know I'm not ready…I don't want it. I have a wife, a kid and another one on the way. I want to leave my work at work…I don't live and breathe for work like you and Gibbs. I think when Gibbs retires, you'd be perfect to take over the D.C. team."

"I'm happy with my life here in Spain Probie." Tony replied. "My days in D.C. are over."

"Tony…" McGee began to argue but Tony stood up.

"You can ask Kendall, but I know she'll turn you down." He said and walked away.

* * *

_The conference room…1023_

Hari and Ziva were standing in the conference room, with papers spread out over the conference table. Hari was dressed in navy blue combats and a light blue button down shirt with short sleeves. Ziva was wearing white Capri pants and a lemon sleeveless button down shirt. Her long dark hair was straightened and hanging down, with a silver Alice band keeping her hair out of her face.

"So this is all the intel we have gathered so far? She asked Hari. "After three days of stakeouts, this is all we have to show?"

"Arielle and Garrett's photos are a step in the right direction Zee." Hari argued.

"But they are not enough!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. She could feel her eyes beginning to fill with tears. She lowered her head, trying to regain her composure.

"Ziva, I promise…" Hari replied, taking her in his arms for a hug, "…we will get what we need, even if we have to play dirty. The Nassif brothers will not get away this time. We will get them and the terrorist ring."

"I really hope so Hari." Ziva softly sighed, lifting her head to look him in the eye. Her tears were now gone but Hari's strong arms were still wrapped around her waist.

"Ziva, this will end…we're not going to give up." Hari softly stated, before pressing his lips against her forehead.

Someone clearing their throat interrupted them. They both turned to face Tony. "Sorry to interrupt but we have to let Arielle and Garrett off their shift." Tony stated, his voice cold, with a hint of jealousy.

"Of course." Hari replied, he squeezed Ziva's hand as he left, which was met with a smile from Ziva.

"Are you ready?" Tony asked and turned on his heels to leave. His voice was still cold and guarded.

"Hey, what is wrong with you today?" Ziva asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to turn and face her.

"Nothing…I just didn't want to interrupt you and Hari." Tony retorted. "After all, you seemed quite close…for a director and her control agent."

"We are quite close." Ziva agreed.

"Obviously!" Tony scoffed, making no attempt to hide his jealousy, which did not go unnoticed by Ziva.

"Hari and I have shared a lot, our childhood…our Mossad training…our first Mossad mission…boyfriends…"

"Boyfriends?" Tony questioned.

"Yes, Hari is gay." Ziva replied and watched as the jealousy was instantly replaced with relief. "Although, it is not common knowledge in Mossad so please…"

"Of course, I will say no more." Tony replied, a slow smile creeping across his lips.

"Anyway, why did it matter if I was close to my control agent?" Ziva asked, crossing her arms. "It should not have been your concern…unless you of course were jealous?" Although her lips were not smiling, her eyes were.

"Me? Jealous?" He scoffed. "Hardly!"

Ziva gave a small smile and nodded. She knew the truth. "Of course Tony." She stated. She could still see in his eyes that something else was bothering him. "Are you sure there is nothing else bothering you?"

"What?" Tony nervously laughed. There was so much he could tell her. He was bothered that he was jealous of Hari, despite the fact he had a gorgeous fiancée at home and the fact Hari was gay. All because Hari knew Ziva so well and was so close to her and able to hold her when Tony knew he couldn't.

It bothered him that McGee and Abby knew about Carmela and that the truth would have to come out because, although Kendall and Garrett knew of her existence, they knew not to speak of her in front of Ziva.

It bothered him that McGee was trying to steal his best agent and was trying to entice him back to Washington with Kendall, but more importantly, it bothered him that he was actually considering returning to D.C.

However, the one thing that bothered him more than any other was the fact he still got jealous when he saw another man with Ziva, that he still wanted to be the man she was with, making other men jealous. He had a fiancée back at home…he was meant to be over her. He had to be over her, for his and Carmela's sake.

"So, do you have anything you want to tell me?" Ziva asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Nope, I just want to get this shift over." He quickly answered. "So can we go?"

"Of course." Ziva as she followed him out of the conference room. She knew herself that he wasn't being honest but she had to let it go, after all, there were things she could still not tell him. Correction, she didn't want to tell him.

* * *

_The Bullpen…1456_

Kendall Hickey walked towards the coffee vending machine. She was dressed in a grey pencil skirt and a black short-sleeved button down shirt with a ruffled front panel. Her long red hair was pinned up, with a few curls framing her face. She slipped some money into the machine and selected her drink. As she waited for her drink, she spotted Milo exiting the elevator, with a file in his hands.

"Hey Milo, what brings you to the bullpen?" She asked as he approached her. "Don't tell me, Abby is down there, driving you insane."

"Yes but that is not why I'm here." Milo replied. "Is the boss about?"

"Nope, he's on a stakeout." Kendall replied. "Why?" She lifted her cup of coffee out of the machine.

"Oh, never mind." Milo replied, a nervous twitch in his voice.

"C'mon Milo, what's up?" Kendall asked. "Can I help? Because you sound kinda stressed and that is freaking me out because you don't do stressed."

"Yeah well I didn't until I meet Abby Sciuto McGee." Milo muttered.

"So, what's wrong?" Kendall asked as they headed towards Kendall's desk.

"A few days ago the boss asked me to look over some of the autopsies and evidence records of some unsolved cases around Europe that were connected to the Nassif brothers." Milo began to explain.

"Yeah, that would be within procedures." Kendall said as she sat behind her desk.

"Well, I was looking at a case from Sicily and something didn't check out so I did some of my own investigating and well, I found this." Milo stated and handed Kendall over the file he was holding.

"One of the Nassif brothers was murdered?" Kendall asked, looking up from the file.

"Yeah, their kid brother Jamal which isn't really surprising considering their line of work but here's the interesting part." Milo replied. He flicked over a few pages of the report to reveal some photos.

"Wow!" Kendall sighed as her eyes took in the images in front of her. The photos included Ziva, with Jamal, talking to him, hugging him, and kissing him. "I guess that was Ziva's undercover mission with the Nassifs."

"But look closer Ken." Milo said. "Look at Ziva."

"Oh my God! She's…" Kendall trailed off, in shock.

"Yep, she's pregnant!" Milo stated. "At least in the second trimester…and it said in the report, under the name of Sophia Danano, she was his girlfriend for nearly a year so the baby is obviously his."

"Which begs the question…what happened the baby?" Kendall finished off.

"Exactly." Milo stated. Kendall said nothing, overcome by the shock and her thoughts.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter Preview…Arielle and Hari try to speed up the investigation while Ziva finally opens up to Tony. **


	11. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! First of all, I want to say I am sorry this wasn't posted on Sunday but I couldn't log into my account. But, on the bright side, this is a slightly long chapter for me (approx 4,000 words). Second, I just want to thank everyone for the reviews, feedback and PMs. I know some of you have lost faith in this fic and are wondering how I will bring it back but I really hope you stick with it. I will get there and I hope this chapter answers some of your questions. Again, all feedback, good or bad, is welcomed so please review and PM. Thanks!**

**Chapter 10**

Tony slowly woke up in his bedroom, the bright sunshine illuminating his room through the thin white mesh curtains. He automatically rolled onto his left side to drape his arm over a sleeping Carmela. However, his arm dropped onto the empty bed. There was no Carmela there to hold.

He sat up and looked around the room, wondering were she could be. He could hear the shower running. "Carm?" He called out.

"I'm in the shower." She called back.

Tony nodded his head and slowly slid out of the bed, adjusted his black boxers and pulled on an old 'Ohio State football' T-shirt. He ran his fingers through his tossed hair and stumbled towards the kitchen to pour a glass of orange juice.

Normally, he would have joined Carmela in the shower but not this morning; not this week. He didn't know what was happening to him but his sex drive had completely disappeared, and Carmela had noticed.

In fact, it had been the source of many of their fights this week; and they and had hardly ever fought before. He had managed to convince her that it was the strain of the murder investigation.

Although part of him knew she was beginning to think he was getting cold feet about the wedding. And the fact he had blown off the few attempts she had made to discuss the wedding was probably not helping.

But Tony couldn't help it. The wedding was he last thing on his mind. He knew he loved Carmela. She was the only girl he had met in Spain that had kept his interest, and kept him coming back for more.

When they first got together, he could wait to see her again. He spent all his time thinking about her and when they were together, he loved every minute. And the sex, the sex was fantastic. She had played the good little Catholic girl for a while, and made him wait until they both declared their love to each other but he didn't mind, she was worth the wait.

Suddenly, he found himself thinking about their future together, planning how many kids he wanted, picturing himself as an old man, with her by his side, babysitting their grandchildren.

He never thought he'd be that guy. He never thought he'd think like that. He had come close with Jeanne; although he knew deep down inside there was no future there when their relationship was built on a lie.

And with Ziva, he lived each day as it came, not daring to think about the future, because a future together meant facing both Gibbs and Eli David. Although occasionally, when they had hard cases involving children, he'd watch how she cared for them, and then he would find himself thinking about their own children; how would they look? Would they have his sense of humour? Her kick ass ninja skills?

Tony gulped down his orange juice and shook his head. Why was he even thinking this now? Carmela was his future. He had seen it himself. Ziva and Jeanne, especially Jeanne, were his past.

As soon as they solved this case, Ziva would be gone and out of his life again. He couldn't risk his future, especially with someone who wouldn't share their past. No, Ziva was just his partner, no matter how many old feelings were stirred up again.

Someone banging the door interrupted his thoughts. He walked towards the front door and pulled it open, revealing Abby and Tabitha. "Abs?!" He exclaimed with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought Tabitha would like to see where her uncle Tony lived." Abby said, pushing past Tony, trailing Tabitha behind her. "A beach house? Guess we'll be holidaying in Spain from now on. We can stay here during holidays, can't we?"

"Abby, now is not a good time." Tony pleaded, well aware that he could no longer hear the shower running.

"Why? Is your fiancée here?" Abby asked, spinning around to face Tony. "Afraid I'll give away your little secret?"

"No, it's just…I'm late for work." Tony lied as he removed a vase from Tabitha's reach.

"Why can't I meet your fiancée?" Abby finally asked, her true intentions coming to the surface.

"Abby…" Tony began.

"Do I embarrass you?" She interrupted.

"What?" Tony asked, taken aback. "No, of course not. Its just…things between Carm and me have been a little rocky lately. I haven't had the chance to fully explain everything that has gone on over the last week and meeting you might lead to questions that I can't answer until I get a chance to talk to Ziva. Because I know Carmela and if she meets you, she'll want to meet the whole team today."

"And we wouldn't want that because Ziva will only get hurt saying she doesn't know Carmela exists." Abby sighed.

"Exactly." Tony sighed, with relief.

"Which is exactly why I told you to tell Ziva!" Abby stated, whacking Tony on the arm.

"I know, and I will." Tony replied, rubbing his arm.

"Huh! I heard that before!" Abby groaned.

"Abby, I promise I will tell Ziva tonight, when our shift ends." Tony answered, knowing himself that he could no longer put it off.

"Fine." Abby reluctantly agreed. "C'mon Tabs, lets go and get Uncle Gibbs his coffee." She took her daughter's hand and led her towards the door.

"Thanks Abs." Tony said. Abby nodded her head solemnly before heading out the door with Tabitha.

Tony closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling a sigh of relief.

"Baby, who was at the door?" Carmela asked, appearing at the bedroom doorframe, dressed in a light blue sundress. Her long dark hair was hanging down, still wet from the shower. "I could hear voices."

"Oh, that…it was just a saleswoman." Tony lied as he stepped away from the door and headed towards the kitchen. "You want some breakfast?"

"Okay." Carmela replied, her mind filled with doubt as Tony gave her one of his trademark smiles. He'd been acting strange all week and she couldn't help but wonder if he was cheating on her…and if that salesperson was really his mistress.

After all, they were no longer having sex, and he was working longer hours. Maybe she'd just have to call into his office to find out.

* * *

Arielle sat on a wooden bench, overlooking the dock. It was a beautiful day, with clear blue skies, sunshine and only a gentle breeze. She was dressed in a red short sleeved, short playsuit/romper with matching red wedged sandals. Her hair was down, sitting perfectly, despite the breeze. She was wearing sunglasses but no make up. She sipped her iced caramel mocha latte, with whipped cream.

From a distance, she could see Hari approaching, wearing jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up; his sunglasses clipped onto his chest pocket. He was also carrying a cup of coffee.

He stopped in front of her and leaned against the railing, so he was facing Arielle. He took a sip of his coffee before speaking. "Okay Elle, why did you call this meeting?" He finally asked.

"I think we both know. " She answered. "The mission…it's going far to slow and the longer we spend in Rota, the more distracted she's getting."

"She's not getting distracted." Hari stated.

"Hari, what do you think the director would say if he knew we were letting his daughter partner Dinozzo again?" Arielle asked.

"He doesn't need to know." Hari retorted.

"For all we know, he already does." Arielle snapped. "It wouldn't be the first time he had her followed."

"I thought that's why you're here." Hari observed.

"Hey, I've only ever told him what he needed to know." Arielle snapped. "I don't exactly like spying on my best friend but we all have orders."

"Elle, Ziva is finally beginning to act like herself again." Hari stated. "She even got me to drop her off at the base shooting range. Do you know how long it's been since she's fired a gun?"

"Of course I do." Arielle muttered.

"The point is, it's Dinozzo that is making her Ziva again so what is so bad about hanging around Rota for a while?" Hari asked. "We're making progress with the case, the director is happy…"

"She's falling for him again Hari!" Arielle snapped, interrupting Hari. "We have to get her away from him before it's too late."

"Arielle…" Hari began.

"He has a fiancée Hari, we both knew that before we arrived here and we both decided not to tell her." Arielle interrupted again. "Do you really want her falling in love again, only to receive another broken heart? Because trust me Hari, she'll not survive it this time."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Hari asked.

"I have a plan." Arielle replied. "But we'll need help."

"From who?" Hari asked. Arielle didn't answer. Instead, she opened her cell phone and dialled a number.

* * *

Garrett sat at his desk, in front of his computer. He was focused on the computer screen until he caught sight of Kendall entering the bullpen from the corner of his eye. "Hey Probie, how was the stakeout?" He asked.

"The usual." Kendall replied, tossing her badge and her gun into the top drawer of her desk. She was dressed in dark jeans, tan, knee high boots, a white tank/vest top and a black boyfriend style blazer. She removed the blazer. She released her red hair free from its ponytail; the soft curls falling down, framing her face. "We can't get anything on Chad Sampson."

"Don't worry, if he's involved, we will." Garrett replied.

"So, what are you doing?" She asked, approaching Garrett's desk.

"Nothing important." Garrett answered coolly as she perched herself on his desk. She leaned over to read the screen.

"You googled Ziva?" She exclaimed.

"I know, pretty stupid." Garrett sighed. "I mean, why would a Mossad agent turn up on Google? Although, she did have a face book account a few years ago when face book was in. I just…I want to know more about her. I already questioned Arielle and she wasn't giving anything away. Maybe I should try Abby?"

"Trust me, there's a lot more to Ziva than you want to know." Kendall muttered, remember what she and Milo had discovered.

"What?" Garrett asked.

"Oh nothing." Kendall replied. "I just, I thought you were giving up on Ziva, being the boss' ex and all."

"I know…I thought I could too." Garrett replied. "But, boss is marrying Carmela so I don't think he'll mind if I pursue Ziva. I mean, she could be the one."

"Of course she could." Kendall muttered under her breath. Her cell phone began to ring. She answered it. "Agent Hickey. Okay. Now? Sure. Where? I'll be there in five." She closed over cell phone and stood up.

"Who was that?" Garrett asked.

"None of your business." She replied, grabbing her blazer, badge and gun.

"Ah, has Probie got herself a boyfriend?" Garrett teased. Kendall said nothing. "Seriously Ken, have you?" There was hint of concern and jealousy in his voice.

"Cover for me." She said and left the bullpen, heading directly to the elevator. All Garrett could do was watch her go.

* * *

Ziva slipped the plastic hotel key into the lock and pushed open the door. She entered the penthouse room, just as the sun was beginning to set. She was dressed in jeans, a black tank/vest top and a grey long cardigan with the buttons opened. She wasn't wearing any make up and her hair was hanging down, brushed mainly over to one side.

Tony followed her into the penthouse. He was dressed in jeans and a blue and white striped button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"Thanks for dropping me home." Ziva stated. "I know the last thing you want to do after a six hour shift on stake out is drive an hour out of your way."

"It was no problem Ziva." Tony answered, following her towards the kitchenette.

"So, um…can I get you a drink or…" She began to say. She didn't know what was wrong but she had sensed the whole way home that Tony was acting strange, almost awkward with her. She had a jug of fruit juice in her hands.

"Actually Zee, I think we need to talk." Tony stated, his finger tracing the breakfast bar, anything to avoid her eyes. He had to tell her about Carmela.

Ziva nodded her head knowingly and put the jug down.

"Ziva, we lost contact for five years and I know it was mostly my fault." Tony began. "But five years is a long time and a lot could happen and it did. And I know we have avoided talking about what happened during those years but I can't avoid it any longer…" He finally looked her in the eye. He could see the panic in them.

"Oh shit, you know." She sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I knew you would find out. I knew you would go over old cases…it is procedure but I hoped…" She trailed off.

"Ziva?" Tony asked. He could see her eyes become watery and glazed.

"I never meant for it to happen, it was meant to be a simple undercover mission. I did similar operations many times before but…I did not mean for him to die…I did not mean to kill him." Ziva tried to explain, the words spilling out of her.

"Ziva!" He stated, his voice strong as he placed his hands on her shoulders to try and calm her. She looked him in the eye. "Why don't you start from the start, huh?"

All Ziva could do was nod her head in response.

* * *

Kendall pushed open the fire escape door, leading out onto the roof of NCIS headquarters. She stepped onto the roof and headed towards Arielle and Hari. "Okay, I'm here." She stated. "What is with all the cloak and dagger stuff?"

"Hari and I are not happy with how the case is progressing." Arielle replied.

"Well isn't that something you should be discussing with your boss and my boss, not an agent who just recently got off her probation?" Kendall answered.

"We have a plan to get this case solved." Hari replied. "But it kinda goes against what your boss and our boss want."

"And you thought I'd want to be involved because?" Kendall asked.

"Because you want to prove yourself." Arielle answered.

"And you're the only person who can help." Hari added.

"Okay, say I do want to prove what I'm made of, what exactly do you need me to do?" Kendall asked.

"We want you to go undercover in La Bonita's." Hari answered.

"I thought that idea was vetoed as being too dangerous?" Kendall pointed out.

"There is some danger involved, as with any op." Arielle agreed. "But Hari and I will be your support." There was silence.

"If I agree to this, I will want something in return." Kendall stated.

"And what is that?" Arielle asked.

"I want the truth about Ziva's undercover mission with the Nassifs." Kendall replied.

"We can't…" Hari began.

"Done." Arielle agreed, overruling Hari. "So do we have a deal?"

"Yeah, we have a deal." Kendall agreed.

* * *

Ziva was sitting on the sofa, her feet tucked under her bum, a glass of red wine in her hand. Her finger traced around the rim of the glass, her eyes focused on it; anything to avoid Tony's gaze.

Tony was sitting beside her, his body slightly angled, turned towards her. He was watching her carefully, ignoring his own glass of wine, which was sitting on the coffee table.

"When I left NCIS to return to Mossad, my father was pleased that I had returned but I could tell he questioned my skills." She began. "I really wanted to prove to him that I was still his little ninja, that I could complete any mission he threw at me. So he partnered me with Arielle, she was Mossad's rising star, rising through the ranks as quickly as I had. I took it as a sign of his faith in me that he had given me Arielle as a partner. We were quickly assigned an operative; on the surface, it was so simple, too simple."

She paused. She took a sip of her wine and then began tracing her finger around the rim again. "Mossad was aware there was a possible terrorist threat from Syria, like there always is. But this time, they were confident they knew who was involved; the Nassif brothers, Syria's own version of the Italian mob. Our job was simple; all we had to do was get close to them. They had a club, just like La Bonita, only it was in Sicily. Our cover was planned, I would be Sophia Danano, a lowly paid waitress and Arielle would be my sister, Lorena, a girl who wanted to work their club."

She took another sip of wine and began tracing the rim of the glass again. "Although all three brothers owned the club, it was the two younger brothers Hadi and Jamal who ran the club." Ziva took a breath. "Arielle was persistent and she got herself into the club as a dancer, charming Hadi Nassif in the process. I was clear in my role. I was to play the disapproving sister, the one with morals and it worked. The Nassifs had very strong ideals about family and they went out of their way to prove Arielle would be protected and cared for, and, as such, I would too."

Ziva ran her fingers through her hair. "Suddenly, I found myself spending time with Jamal, making up a foursome with Arielle and Hadi. I knew he was a Nassif brother but I had trouble believing he was the same as Hadi and the oldest brother Aarif. He was so caring…and his views on the world, it was clear he was not the Syrian terrorist Mossad thought. His brothers however, were. Slowly but surely, Jamal began to fall in love with me and I began to care for him."

Her eyes began to fill with tears. She fought them, struggling to gain her composure. Slowly, the tears began to disappear. "It was clear Arielle and Hadi had not connected on the same level as myself and Jamal but she was getting information that we needed. Jamal however, was not sharing anything with me, if anything, he was trying very hard to distance himself from his brothers, escape the life they created for him."

Ziva glanced at Tony momentarily. His eyes were so pained, as if he was living every moment with her. "I knew Jamal loved me. He told me every chance he got, which made me hate myself more and more every day because I could not feel the same, because I was still love in love with someone else."

At this, Tony bowed his head in shame. It was pretty clear it was him she was talking about. Ziva continued. "One day, I discovered I was pregnant, it is a casualty of these operations. It has happened before to other officers and it will happen again. I was not ready to become a mother but I just went with it because Jamal was so happy and he became even more determined to break away from his brothers."

Tony watched Ziva talk about being pregnant. She was so clinical. It was a twist he wasn't expecting, after all, there was no child now. Had Ziva been forced to give it away? Was that why she was no longer the Ziva he remembered?

Ziva did not dare look at Tony now. She knew his mind was probably whirling, but she continued anyway. "Although I did not love Jamal, I was happy to be with him but Mossad was getting restless. It was becoming pretty clear that Arielle's romance with Hadi was coming to an end and of course, my relationship with Jamal was not providing any Intel. Mossad were forcing us to speed up our execution of the plan. We needed results, fast!"

Ziva ran her fingers through her hair again. "Of course, with the pressure now on us, we got a little reckless, and Arielle's cover was blown through a silly mistake. We had to get out of there, fast."

She paused. Her eyes began to fill with tears again, although no tears escaped. "I knew it was only a matter of time before Hadi told Jamal but I could not leave him…not without telling him the truth myself. We had shared too much. He was going to be the father of my child. He deserved the truth, especially as he could not have my love."

One tear slowly escaped Ziva's eyes, followed by another. "So I told him everything and waited for him to react but he did not react the way I expected. He began gathering his things. He was going to go with me but before we could leave, Hadi had caught up with us."

Ziva quickly wiped away any tears that had fallen. She was focused on the rim of the wine glass. "I knew what I should do. I knew what my training had taught me to do, but I could see it in Jamal's eyes, as much as he hated his brothers way of life, he did not want them to die so I hesitated. My hesitation was long enough for Hadi to take his gun and aim at me and before I knew it, Jamal jumped in front of the gun and took the bullet."

The tears were now falling freely. "Hadi was in shock at shooting his own brother that he forgot I was there. He was overtaken by grief at his brother dying in front of him, in front of us; he did not even fight when Arielle rescued me. He just held his brother in his arms, sobbing."

"If I did not hesitate, Jamal would have been alive." Ziva said, finally looking at Tony. "It was my fault that he died, he saved me…he died for me, because he loved me, and I could not love him."

"Ziva…" Tony began, his hand reaching out to stroke her cheek, but Ziva's focus returned to the wine glass.

"When I returned to Israel I wanted nothing to do with Mossad, I could not bring myself to hold a gun, never mind shoot it." Ziva continued. "Jamal's love had got to me and I could not live that life anymore. I was to be a mother, and my father accepted that, or at least pretended to."

"However, the strain of everything that had happened, had caused a few complications and I lost the baby, a girl, but because I was seven months pregnant by that stage, I had to give birth." Ziva stated, trying to stick to the facts, even though the tears fell freely.

"Oh Zee." She heard Tony sigh sympathetically.

"After that, I struggled to remember who I was, even though my father, Arielle, Hari, Abby, McGee, Vance, even Gibbs tried to remind me." Ziva stated. "My father created a position. He knew I was no longer a killer but he wanted me to stay close and he assigned Arielle to me as my protection, worrying that I may be a target of the Nassifs."

She looked Tony in the eye again. "So if I am no longer your ninja, that is why." She softly said.

"Zee…" Tony stated softly, reaching out to cup her cheek. He used his thumb to brush away a few tears. "What happened you was awful but it was not your fault."

"I hesitated…he is dead because of me." Ziva sobbed, fresh tears appearing. "I killed him."

"Listen to me Ziva David…" Tony stated, cupping her face in both his hands, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "It was not your fault." She shook her head, trying to free herself from his hold, not wanting to believe what he was saying. "It was not your fault." He stated again, not letting her go.

There was silence as they stared into each other's eyes. Tony could not take his eyes off her tear soaked lips. His thumbs grazed over them, brushing away the tears, reminding him of how soft and inviting they were. He found himself drawn to them.

"Tony…" Ziva softly said, her breathing becoming heavy.

"Sshhh!" He sighed, before pressing his lips against hers, softly at first, almost hesitating, waiting to be pushed away. Both their lips melted together, as if they were a perfect fit.

Slowly, they pulled apart, their eyes never breaking contact, desperately questioning each other. They moved towards each other again, their lips crashing together with much more urgency, as they melted together, Tony's finger tangling in Ziva's hair while Ziva gripped his shirt.

Suddenly, the last five years had disappeared and it was just the two of them again, no one else existed, not Gibbs, or Jamal, or Carmela.

**To be continued…**

**Next chapter…the secrets continue to unravel**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey guys!, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate your comments. Here is another chapter, slightly longer than my usual so I hope you enjoy it. Although, I think I should give advance warning that things get a little angsty but I still hope you can enjoy it. As ususal, please review and post your feedback, good or bad. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!**

**Chapter 11**

_Ziva's hotel penthouse, Santa Maria, Spain...0509_

Tony's eyes slowly began to open, his eyelids fluttering, adjusting to the early morning light shining through the balcony doors. He slowly adjusted to his surroundings, beginning to realise he was not in his own home.

His neck ached from the awkward sleeping position from the night before. He tried to stretch, only to discover a mass of black curls resting on his chest and perfectly manicured nails gently grasping his shirt.

His eyes quickly widened, the events of the night before replaying on his mind; Ziva crying as she shared her story; their lips crashing together; Ziva falling asleep in his arms as she silently sobbed.

He looked down at Ziva, peacefully sleeping on his chest, her lips still swollen from their feverish kisses the night before. He couldn't help but admire her beauty; a small smile spreading across his face as he gently ran his fingers through her hair.

Suddenly, the vibration of his phone brought him back to reality. He pulled the phone out of his pocket, being extra careful not to waken Ziva. Carmela's name flashed up on the screen before the vibration stopped. Now, 14 missed calls and 13 voice mails were flashing on the screen from Carmela.

"Shit!" He quietly muttered, remembering that he had a fiancée at home. He ran his fingers through his own hair. He couldn't believe he did this…not to Carmela, not to Ziva. This was a mess.

He slowly released himself from Ziva's hold and slid off the sofa, being careful not to waken Ziva. He slid on his shoes and grabbed his car keys, before leaving the penthouse, taking one last glance at the sleeping Ziva.

He raced down the hotel stairs, not even waiting for the elevator and then quickly jumped into his car. Then he paused for a moment, closing his eyes as his head rested against the headrest.

He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and checked his appearance in the rear-view mirror. Luckily for him, there were no visible scratches on his body. A rarity when making out with Ziva David.

He pulled out his cell phone and phoned Carmela. "Hey baby." He softly said, praying he didn't sound as guilty as he felt. "I know baby, I'm sorry I didn't call. I had some paperwork to finish off and I guess I fell asleep at my desk. Yep, my body is suffering now." He gave a small laugh. "Well, I'll look forward to the massage. I love you too baby." He hung up. "Tony Dinozzo, you are going straight to hell." He muttered to himself before speeding off.

* * *

_NCIS Headquarters, the photocopying room, Rota, Spain… 0737_

Tony stood at the photocopier, photocopying all the information he could find on the Nassifs. He was determined to close this case and put them behind bars for Ziva's sake.

He had changed his clothes, borrowing Garrett's spare change. It had been a while since he had needed to do that, but then again, it had been a while since he never made it home. The all night stop outs had stopped as soon as he met Carmela.

"Good morning Tony." A sweet, familiar female voice said from behind him.

He jumped, taken by surprise and he nervously laughed as he spun around to face the person the voice belonged to. "Ziva…you're here." He said, his voice quivering as he fought the nerves.

Ziva stood before him, dressed in a navy blue short pencil skirt and a light blue, short-sleeved button down shirt with a ruffled panel. Her long dark hair was straight and tied up in a ponytail and her make up was minimal. She looked extremely relaxed and as a result, the prettiest had had saw her since she turned up at Rota.

"No thanks to you." She joked, walking towards him. "I had to drive myself in, borrowing Arielle's car. I um, I never even heard you leave this morning."

"Yeah, I um, had to get here early." He lied, trying to avoid her eye line as she leaned against the photocopier, her body facing Tony. He continued photocopying.

"Look Tony, last night took me by surprise." She began to say, her body leaning into him. "I did not expect that to happen. I mean I enjoyed it, really enjoyed it…"

"Ziva…" Tony began, interrupting her. He knew he finally had to be truthful and tell her the truth about Carmela.

"And I know, we have a case to solve…" Ziva continued, ignoring Tony's interruption. "But after we close the case, I was hoping that maybe we could try…"

"Ziva!" Tony stated, with more force. He pressed his hands on her shoulders. She finally stopped talking and looked at him. "Before you finish that sentence I really have something I need to tell you."

"Um boss." He heard Kendall's say from the doorway.

"Ken, not now." Tony snapped, not looking away from Ziva.

"Boss, you have a visitor." Kendall pressed.

"So take a message Kendall!" Tony snapped, finally looking at her. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"But Tony, it's…" She trailed off, afraid to say the word aloud. He knew what she was trying to tell him from the look in her eyes.

He didn't say anything; he just walked away from Ziva and followed Kendall towards the bullpen. Ziva followed them; confused by what had just occurred.

As they entered the bullpen, they found Abby, Gibbs, McGee, Tabitha and Hari, standing with a woman, with long straight dark hair, with a blunt fringe/bangs framing her beautiful face. She was tall with a slender but curvy body, wearing a dark green linen sundress that flowed in all the right places.

"Carmela, what are you doing here?" Tony asked nervously as he headed towards her.

"I thought you would need a spare change of clothes but I guess Garrett got you sorted." Carmela replied, holding up an overnight bag. "Tony, you didn't tell me you had friends from Washington in town." She added. Ziva watched as the woman gave Tony a quick yet loving kiss. "I could have had you all over for dinner." She slipped her arm around to Tony.

"Carm, they're here to work a case, not to socialise." Tony muttered, his eyes searching for Ziva, he looked at her, his eyes sending a silent apology.

"Well then, you must come to our wedding in a few weeks." Carmela offered.

"Wedding?" Ziva spat out in surprise. She couldn't help herself. She looked around her. No one but Gibbs seemed at all surprised at the mention of a wedding.

"Let me guess, Tony hasn't talked about our wedding." Carmela laughed, giving him a gentle slap in the arm.

"No, he has not." Ziva muttered. Tony hung his head in shame.

"Doesn't surprise me." Carmela laughed, oblivious to the tension. "To him, fiancée and marriage are dirty words…which is why I was surprised when he popped the question six months after we got together."

"Six months?" Ziva scoffed.

"Doesn't sound like our Tony." McGee joked, desperately trying to cut the tension.

"I know." Carmela laughed, looking Tony in the eye. "But I guess when you meet the right person, spending your life together doesn't seem so scary…even for Tony Dinozzo." She gave him a quick kiss and everyone laughed, except Ziva.

Tony looked at her again, his eyes full of regret. She didn't look at him. Instead, she hung her head and walked out of the bullpen. No one but Tony saw her go, they were too busy fussing around the future Mrs Dinozzo.

* * *

_Milo's Lab…0829_

Ziva David stood at the metal table, her fingers tracing over it, enjoying the coolness of the metal. There was no evidence lying around, waiting to be tested. She was on her own, with her thoughts.

She did not know why she came down here. In Washington, she had always found Abby's lab comforting and she hoped this lab would be the same. But it wasn't; it just reminded her how much had changed; and how there was no going back.

"Ziva, there you are!" Hari exclaimed, entering the lab, followed by a waddling Abby. "We were looking everywhere for you."

"We wanted to check on you." Abby said. "I mean, today, with Carmela…what a shocker! Tony Dinozzo getting married? Who would have thought it?" Abby faked a laugh.

"Obviously you two saying you did not look one bit surprised by the announcement." Ziva replied bitterly, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"Ziva…" Hari began.

"How long have you both known?" Ziva asked, cutting off Hari.

"Ziva…" Abby began, her voice soft.

"How long?" Ziva barked.

Just at that moment, Milo had decided to enter his lab but he changed his mind as soon as he read the situation. "I'll um, come back later." He muttered before backing off, out of the lab.

"Tony let it slip whenever we arrived in Rota." Abby replied. "He promised me he was going to tell you. He said he was going to tell you last night."

Ziva laughed to herself. Last night? The same night he _kissed_ her and made her think they had a chance of being together, when really, they had no chance. She turned her attention to Hari. "And what about you? How long have you known?" She asked.

"Ziva…" Hari began but he trailed off. Ziva nodded her head and laughed.

"Of course, I should have known." She laughed. She realised her father was still watching Tony's every move.

"Ziva, you said you were over him…we didn't expect you to fall…" Abby began but was cut off by Ziva.

"You know, it would be easy to blame Tony for why I am so hurt but what hurt me the most is two of the people I trust and love whole heartedly did not even think to tell me." Ziva stated before exiting the lab.

After she left, she bumped into McGee and Tabitha at the doorway. "Ziva, I was just looking for you." McGee said but he stopped talking when he saw the look in her eyes. "You want me to punch him? Because I'll take him down…or at least try." He was trying to make her smile.

"That is not going to work McGee." She simply stated and kept walking.

* * *

_NCIS Headquarters, the fire escape…0903_

Tony was standing outside on the fire escape, overlooking the navy yard and Rota's coastline. There was a gentle breeze. Carmela had just left. He heard someone step onto the fire escape behind him. He did not turn around. "Just say it Gibbs." He muttered. He was not in the mood to fight back. He braced himself for a 'Gibbs' slap'.

"So you're getting married huh?" Gibbs said, taking his place beside Tony. Like Tony, he stared straight ahead. Tony glanced at him, still surprised that he did not 'Gibbs' slap' him. "I thought the one thing you would have learnt from me is avoid marriage at all costs."

"I didn't plan for it." Tony muttered. "It just happened. You can't control who you fall for."

"And not telling Ziva, that just happened too, huh?" Gibbs stated.

"I was hoping I never would need to tell her." Tony replied. "I was hoping that this case wouldn't drag on the way it has. I was hoping that I would never have to see that look in her eyes that she had today."

"And were you hoping she wouldn't fall for you again?" Gibbs asked. "Because guess what, she has. I know that look in her eyes, I saw it when you first met, I saw it when you were sleeping with her in secret and I saw it again, when you two started working together again."

Tony looked at Gibbs. "You know, I didn't ask for this." Tony snapped. "I was happy here, I was finally settled…I didn't need her to come back into my life. I didn't need this case to fall into my lap."

"I know." Gibbs agreed. "But maybe there is a reason why this happened." Tony scoffed. "Tony, I was wrong to try and separate you two. Maybe you two were always meant to be together. Maybe it was inevitable."

"And maybe you were right?" Tony retorted. "I mean, look at the mess I've created."

"It's nothing that can't be cleaned up." Gibbs answered. "Ziver has been through a lot the last few years…"

"Yeah I know." Tony muttered. "She told me about the Nassif case."

Gibbs nodded his head. "You know, she has a lot of secrets and a girl like Ziva, you'll probably never know the whole truth." Gibbs stated. "But I think she deserves the truth from you. You need to talk to her."

"I don't even know where she is." Tony sighed.

"C'mon Dinozzo!" Gibbs snapped, finally giving Tony a slap to the back of his head, taking Tony by surprise. Tony looked at Gibbs. "Ziva always knew where to find you when you were upset. Deep down, you know where she is."

Tony nodded and left the fire escape.

* * *

Ziva sat on the steps, beside the ladies toilets, her head in her hands. How had things got so complicated? This was why she made her rules, so she would never fall in love again. She would never see the same guy two nights in a row, she'd never stick around in the same town for longer than a month and she would never reveal her true identity.

She wanted fun. She didn't want any attachments. She would live her life like a man. Or at least that's what she hoped for, but then, Tony Dinozzo had to enter her life again and change everything.

She could see Garrett approaching from the distance. He had just finished his surveillance session with Arielle. He was dressed in jeans and a white long sleeved button down shirt, with thin light blue pinstripes and the sleeves rolled up.

Suddenly, her mind was filled with the images of their 'booty calls' before they both discovered each other's true identity. She was remembering how his lips felt on her skin, how his fingers made her tremble; the sensations she felt as he bit her earlobes; his manly smell.

"Hey, it's pretty quiet around here this morning." He observed as he approached her.

Ziva didn't reply, instead, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, taking him by surprise. "Ziva?" He questioned as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She began to nibble his earlobe. "Screw the small talk." She whispered. "I want you inside me."

"Ziva, I thought we agreed that this couldn't happen again." Garrett laughed, not believing what was happening.

Ziva's fingers trailed up his shirt before resting under his chin. "Are you really going to turn me down?" She asked softly, chewing her lower lip.

"You want to do this, right here?" Garrett asked, his voice squeaking slightly as he felt the bulge in his jeans tighten just at the thought.

Ziva smiled triumphantly, knowing by his response he wasn't turning her down. She pulled him towards the ladies bathroom, not caring if anyone was inside, hungrily kissing him.

Garrett kissed back, with as much force and passion he could muster. He wrapped his arms around her, under her buttocks and with one swift motion he lifted her up. Ziva instinctively wrapped her legs around his strong thighs, their lips not breaking contact for a second.

They stumbled towards the sinks. Luckily for them, the toilets were unoccupied. Garrett carefully sat Ziva down on the sink counter and their lips separated momentarily as they both adjusted to a more comfortable position.

Ziva gave a small seductive smile before lips began a trial of kisses from his lips, to his jaw, down his neck. She pulled his shirt out of his jeans and began to unbutton it; her fingers nails grazing his chest as her lips continued to explore his body.

Garrett began nibbling her ears and neck while his hands hitched up her skirt, revealing stocking and suspenders, causing him to groan. Ziva gave a small laugh and pulled away. Both of them were breathing deeply, taking the sight of each other in.

Ziva began to unbuckle Garrett's jeans while Garrett popped open Ziva's shirt, revealing a white bra, trimmed with light blue ruffles. At the sight of her tanned skin against the white bra, he couldn't help himself, he began a trial of kisses down her towards her breasts; his fingers grazing the cups of the bra. Ziva arched her back to give him better access.

Within moments, Ziva could not take it anymore. She cupped Garrett's face in both her hands and pressed her lips against his, for full, hungry, passionate, open mouthed kisses.

Garrett wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to his body, lifting her off the counter. Ziva groaned in his mouth as her body rubbed against the growing bulge in his pants, waiting to be released.

Meanwhile, Tony stood outside the ladies bathroom, preparing to enter. He thought about what Gibbs had said, and Ziva did deserve the truth. He thought of all the times she went after him when he was upset. She always followed him into the men's room so he couldn't help but think he'd find her in the ladies.

He pushed open the door, completely unprepared for what he found before him. He found Ziva, tangled in Garrett's body, mid-kiss; the hunger clear in both their eyes; both their bodies half naked.

They both stopped, struggling to cover their modesty; both taken by the surprise. Tony turned to walk out, completely in shock; just as Garrett spoke.

"Boss, this isn't how it looks." Garrett began to say.

Tony couldn't contain his feelings anymore. He spun around, his right fist connecting with Garrett's jaw, sending him back, and falling onto the floor.

"Tony!" Ziva exclaimed, kneeling down beside Garrett, who was wiping away the blood trickling from his lip, dazed by what had just happened.

Ziva looked up and met Tony's eyes. It had been a while since she saw them filled with such anger, disgust and jealousy.

"Congratulations Ziva!" He spat, pointing his finger at her angrily. "If you wanted to hurt me, you just did!" He turned his back on her and stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Ziva to hang her head in shame.

* * *

_Later that night…_

Garrett was sitting at his desk, with a small mirror in front of him and a bottle of witch hazel. He looked at his swollen and cut lip and groaned. It looks like the effect of Tony's right hook would be there for a few days.

He hadn't seen Tony since the incident. He was staying out of his way, which was probably for the best. He knew that Tony would probably be a little hurt, discovering he had slept with Ziva but he had not expected that reaction. Now, he was wondering if he'd have to ask for a transfer.

He could hear the clicking of stiletto high heels exiting the elevator. He looked up and found Kendall walking towards her desk. She was wearing black stiletto high heels and a short stone Mac, with black buttons and a matching stone belt. The Mac came to just above her knee. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought she was wearing nothing else under it. Her long red hair was pinned up in a neat bun and she had a lot of makeup on.

"Hey, I thought you were on your stake out with McGee." Garrett stated.

"I just came back to get my house key." She replied, holding up a key that she pulled out of the drawer of her desk. At that moment, she noticed Garrett's lip. "What the hell happened your lip?" She approached his desk.

"Oh that." Garrett said and shrugged his shoulders, trying to blow off the need to explain it. Kendall however was not buying it. She put finger under his chin and tilted his head up to examine it. "Boss found out about me and Ziva." He reluctantly answered.

"I knew he would be mad but mad enough to actually hit you?" Kendall stated. "What happened?"

"He walked in on us in the ladies' room." Garrett replied. "We didn't exactly leave anything to the imagination."

Kendall shook her head and perched herself on Garrett's desk; her body facing into him; her bare legs brushing against his arm. "Why do you never listen?" She sighed. "I warned you that this might happen."

"I know." He said, his eyes watching her as she leaned across him to grab some cotton wool. She began to unscrew the bottle of witch hazel.

"Sometimes Gar, I wish you would think with your head, rather than your joystick." She sighed as she dabbed the cotton wool with the witch hazel. She brought the cotton wool up to his lip.

Garrett quickly brought his hand up to stop her, fearing the pain. He caught hold of her wrist. Kendall locked eyes with him. "Trust me Gar, I am your partner after all." She stated.

He nodded his head and released her hand. He grimaced in pain as his lip began to sting as the witch hazel made contact. Then, the stinging subsided under Kendall's gentle touch.

"I really thought you'd make the right choice and stay away from her." Kendall said, her eyes on Garrett's swollen lip as she continued to dab it with cotton wool.

"Yeah well there is only so much I can do when she was practically throwing herself at me." Garrett replied. "I am a red blooded male after all."

"Yeah but you should have suspected she would try something, especially after she discovered the boss was engaged to Carmela today." Kendall stated. Then, she noticed Garrett slump back into his chair. She sighed. "You didn't know."

"No, I didn't." He retorted, before sighing himself. "She was using me to make him angry, to make him jealous. She wanted to hurt him just the way he hurt her."

"Yeah." Kendall sighed as Garrett hung his head. She leaned forward, slipped her finger under his chin again, and forced him to look up at her. "Garrett, you will find the right girl for you. You just have to change your playboy ways first."

"Thanks Ken." He muttered in return as she watched her slide off his desk. "You going?"

"Yeah, I have somewhere to be and I don't want to be late." She replied.

"A date?" He asked, locking eyes with her.

She gave a small side. "Something like that." She answered.

"Well can I give you a bit of advice?" He asked.

"Sure." Kendall replied.

"Don't wear so much make up. It makes you look a little slutty and you don't need it. You're beautiful enough without it." Garrett answered honestly.

A genuine smile spread across Kendall's lips. "Thanks Gar." She softly said and left the bullpen.

* * *

_La Bonita's…2238_

Kendall stood in front of the mirror backstage. She was still wearing the stone Mac, but she was now wearing a wig, her hair was blonde and cut into a short bob. She took a deep breath, all the moves she learnt in her pole dancing class running through her mind. Who knew keeping up with the latest fitness trend would come in so useful?

"Molly, you're on." A girl, dressed in a gold bra, matching gold cowboy chaps and a white cowboy hat trimmed with gold called.

"Okay." Kendall answered, maintaining her cover. She nervously slipped off her Mac, revealing a skimpy sailor themed top and skirt. She moved towards the curtain, separating the dressing room from the stage.

"First night nerves?" The girl dressed as a cowgirl asked. Kendall nodded. "Don't worry, they'll love ya!" The girl reassured her, before pushing her onto the stage.

"This is it Ken." Kendall muttered to herself as she sashayed towards her pole, her confidence growing with every wolf whistle. She began to dance around the pole. The crowd seem to be appreciating her performance as the wolf whistles and cheers continued to come.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Nassif brothers sitting in a corner booth. Beside them were Tucker Benton and Chad Sampson, as well as a few unidentified men. Sampson seemed very interested in her performance.

She continued on with her performance, giving the crowd what they wanted but she also kept her focus on the Nassifs, and their guests.

* * *

_La Bonita's…30 minutes later_

Kendall walked through the club, still wearing her sailor outfit, smiling at the patrons. She knew what her job was now. The cowgirl, called Louisa had told her to make herself available for lap dances, both private and public.

Louisa also reminded her of the rules. There was to be no touching from the customers, however, she could touch them. The only customers that could touch her were the few selected as the Nassifs' personal friends. However, Louisa was quick to assure her that it very rarely happened.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find it belonged to Louisa. "You have been summoned by the bosses." Louisa stated, her voice cold, if not filled with jealousy. "They were impressed by your performance."

"Really?" Kendall asked, a little shocked. She was not expecting to gain the Nassifs' attention so quickly as Louisa led her towards them.

"Thanks Lou." One Nassif said, slapping Louisa on the bum as she passed. Kendall was sure it was the oldest, Aarif. "Boys, let me introduce you to our new girl…Molly Philips, from dreary old England."

"Good evening gents." She stated, her eyes scanning the group of men. Chad Sampson had not took his eyes off her

"You have to love the accent, hey boys?" The younger Nassif, Hadi said. The other men agreed.

"Molly, we have a request for you." Aarif said. "Our boy Chad here would like a dance…he's our special friend so treat him well."

"Of course." Kendall replied with a smile, even though her stomach was doing back flips with nerves.

She took Chad's hand and led him into the private room. She sat him down on one of the chairs and leaned into him. "So what can I do for you Chad?" She asked.

She felt him grip her wrists, she grimaced at the pain. "I know you are NCIS." He whispered in her ear.

"NCIS? Never heard of it." Kendall joked, trying to brush off his suspicions. "Now CSI…"

"You're in danger if you stay here." Chad hissed in her ear, still gripping her wrists. "They'll hurt you. I can't protect you." He released her wrists and slipped a piece of paper in her hands.

Kendall stepped back to let him out of his seat, her eyes questioning him. He walked past her and out of the private room. She could already hear him bragging about her performance.

She glanced at the paper in her hands. It was an address and a time. She flipped over the paper and read the words "Meet me." She swallowed hard, wondering what was in store.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter Preview…Has Kendall finally got a lead? Meanwhile, Ziva tries to mend relations between Garrett and Tony.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing this fic. I really appreciate your support. I'm not going to lie, it is getting a little bit hard to write, probably because I have to write the case stuff now and possibly because Tony isn't in a very good place at the minute. I will get there! I will have a happy ending! As usual, all feedback and reviews, good or bad, are appreciated. **

**Chapter 12**

_NCIS Headquarters, conference room, Rota, Spain…0516_

Kendall Hickey was sitting on the conference table, with her feet on one of the leather chairs. She was dressed in grey sweatpants and a matching hoodie. Her long red hair was in a rough ponytail.

In front of her stood both Arielle and Hari, also dressed down. Arielle was examining the piece of paper that Kendall had passed on. It was the message she received from her lap dance with Chad Sampson.

"So what do I do?" Kendall asked. "Do I go?"

"Yes." Arielle replied, just as Hari answered

"No."

"Hari?" Arielle asked, shocked by his response.

"Elle, her cover has been blown." Hari argued. "This could be a trap."

"Or this could be the lead we've been waiting for." Arielle retorted.

"Hari, I did get the feeling that he knows something." Kendall added. "That he's involved but not the way we think he is."

"Ken, he knows who you are." Hari stated. "Whose to say Benton and the Nassifs haven't figured you out too?"

"Because they are not that good at acting." Kendall replied.

"Kendall, this is really risky." Hari pointed out. "If something was to happen…"

"I'd say I did it on my own, it was nothing to do with you or Arielle." Kendall answered.

"As much as we appreciate the cover, I think Hari was expressing concern for your safety." Arielle stated.

"Hari, I know this could be a trap but I don't know, I just got this feeling that I could trust him." Kendall said.

"Fine, you'll meet with him." Hari said.

"Okay." Kendall replied, the nerves returning to her stomach again.

* * *

_Tony's beach house…0602_

Tony lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He could feel Carmela beginning to stir beside him.

"Morning." She softly said as she rested her head on his chest. He automatically draped his arm around her.

"Morning." He replied, his eyes not leaving the ceiling. Carmela rolled onto her side and began placing butterfly kisses on Tony's chest.

"Last night was amazing." She said between kisses.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Tony replied, a small smile on his lips. He still stared at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy Carmela's lips exploring his body.

"I mean, to go for over a week without sex and then to get it four times in one night." Carmela said, between kisses. "It was definitely worth the wait."

"Well I aim to please." Tony stated, opening his eyes again.

"Well may I suggest we go for five?" Carmela asked, already climbing on top of him.

"Like I said, I aim to please." Tony replied. Carmela smiled and leaned down to kiss his lips. Tony kissed her back, hoping the fifth time would achieve what the other four times couldn't. He desperately needed to get the images of Garrett and Ziva together out of his head.

* * *

_The bullpen…0647_

Garrett was sitting at his desk, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. He was wearing jeans and a dark blue button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. His lip was still swollen from Tony's right hook.

He heard the ding of the elevator. He looked up to find Ziva stepping out of the elevator. She was dressed in white linen trousers and a simple lemon t-shirt. Her hair was down, and her make up was minimal. He looked down again.

"Good morning." She said, shyly.

"Morning." He muttered.

"How is the lip?" She asked, her finger sliding under his chin to tilt his head up. He watched her frown at the sight. "I am so sorry Garrett. Does it hurt?"

"Not really, I was just getting what I deserved." He replied, returning his gaze to his keyboard, pretending to do some work; anything to avoid her gaze.

"You did not deserve to get hit." Ziva stated.

"Ziva, I broke the number one rule of the guy code 'No screwing around with your buddy's girl'." Garrett retorted. "Trust me, I was lucky to get away with just a sucker punch."

"I am not his girl." Ziva corrected.

"No that's Carmela." He stated, looking her in the eye. He saw the pain flash across them. "But you are an ex, which is just as bad."

"I will talk to him, make him see that I chased you." Ziva offered. "He does not need to know about our liaison before this case."

"What? You'll make out that you threw yourself at me just to get back at him?" Garrett suggested. "Because that is what really happened Ziva, isn't it?"

Ziva hung her head in shame. Her finger traced along the rim of his desk. "Garrett, I did not mean for…" She began to explain.

"Was any of it real Ziva?" Garrett asked, interrupting her.

"What?" Ziva asked, finally looking at him.

"Us?" Garrett replied. "Did you feel anything for me? Or was I just a secondary plotline in the Tony and Ziva story?"

"Garrett, I admire you as an agent but you and I, it was only meant to be a fling." Ziva answered honestly. "When we met, I was upfront with my rules, we were never meant to see each other everyday and we certainly were not meant to have Tony in common."

"So the short answer is no." Garrett retorted.

"Gar…" Ziva began.

"Thanks for clearing that up Ziva." Garrett stated, interrupting her again. He stood up and walked away, not wanting to continue the conversation.

* * *

_On base accommodation/Barracks, Rota, Spain…1034_

Kendall glanced at the piece of paper in her hand. She could see a block of apartments and a basketball court ahead. She was dressed in a red ra ra skirt and a yellow vest top. She was also wearing her blonde haired wig. It was the most revealing outfit she owned.

"Sampson is on the court." The petty officer at the gate directed her. He handed her back her fake I.D.

"Thanks." She muttered.

"By the way, great show last night." The petty officer stated, winking at her.

Kendall smiled in return but inside, her stomach fought the urge to vomit. She was surprised by the amount of servicemen who were already aware of her performance. She walked towards the basketball court and stopped at the wire fence.

She could see Sampson and Benton playing basketball with some of the other members of their platoon. Half the men, including Sampson were shirtless. Benton was the first to notice Kendall's presence.

He tapped Sampson. "Hey Chad, isn't that the newbie at La Bonita?" He observed. "Are you already tapping it?"

"What can I say?" Chad joked as he began to exit the court. "I always leave them begging for more." The rest of the boys jeered and whistled.

"Hey." Kendall said softly, imitated by the jeering. Chad said nothing; instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled away from the court. He waited until they were far away for no one to hear their conversation.

"You're early." He hissed.

"Sorry but I wasn't sure of where I was going." Kendall replied.

"Let me guess, you're a probie?" Chad suggested.

"Of course not!" Kendall scoffed.

"You'll really need to improve your lying skills if you're gonna survive undercover." Chad stated.

"I can always tell when someone is lying." She retorted. "My colleagues call me the human lie detector."

"Detecting a lie doesn't necessarily make you good at lying." Chad pointed out. There was silence.

"How did you know I was NCIS?" Kendall asked.

"I noticed you and some guy watching me a few times, as if I was under surveillance." He replied. "You both screamed 'Feds' to me."

"So why haven't you told your buddies that you're being followed by 'Feds'?" Kendall asked.

"Because I know I'm doing nothing wrong." Chad replied. "What to you think human lie detector? Do you believe me?"

"I think you're involved in what we are investigating, but not in the way we think you are." Kendall answered honestly.

"Maybe you're not a probie after all." Chad muttered.

"Chad, why are you involved with the Nassifs?" Kendall asked.

"Who said I'm involved?" Chad fired back.

"Chad…" Kendall sighed.

"Look, I don't even know why I'm talking to you." Chad hissed. "It didn't help Davidson or that Mossad dude!"

"You knew there was an officer of Mossad undercover in the platoon?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah I did." Chad muttered. "Davidson and Schimel, or whatever he was called, were like my brothers. I knew they were involved in something but it was only when Coop…" He stopped.

"Cooper, as in your brother?" Kendall stated. "Did he kill them?"

"He didn't fire the gun but he might as well have." Chad answered. "He's got their blood on his hands."

"So if he didn't fire the gun, then who did?" Kendall asked.

"C'mon, I'm not going to do your job for you." Chad snapped.

"You never did finish your sentence about Cooper…" Kendall prodded. "How did he flag up Davidson and Schimel to you?"

"He didn't…I alerted them on him." Chad replied.

"You knew your brother was involved in the terrorist ring, so you told Davidson." Kendall stated, the answers finally dawning on her. "You're not part of the ring, you're trying to stop it."

"Look I've said too much already." Chad said and turned to walk away. Kendall reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to face her again.

"Chad, we can help you." Kendall offered.

"Yeah, that's what Davidson and Schimel said." Ryan muttered. "Look what happened them."

Kendall glanced over at the basketball court. She knew they were being watched. "They think I'm your new piece of skirt, don't they?" She observed.

"Trust me, that's what you want them thinking." Chad muttered.

Without thinking, Kendall automatically pulled him close and kissed him hard. She could hear the boys on the court jeering and whistling. As they separated, she softly whispered. "Trust me, we can help."

"You're definitely not a probie in kissing." Chad laughed.

"It'll help us keep our cover, huh?" She replied, winking at him. She sashayed away from him, even though her legs felt like jelly. She could hear his return to the court, to more cheers and jeers.

* * *

_The bullpen…1119_

Tony Dinozzo finally strode into the bullpen, over four hours late. He was dressed in jeans and a green short-sleeved button down shirt. As he approached his desk, he found Ziva sitting at Kendall's desk. Garrett was nowhere to be seen.

"You are late." Ziva stated.

"Sorry Zee-vah but I was busy making love to my fiancée." He shot back, his eyes fixed up on her. He wanted to see the pain on her eyes. "There are more important things than work."

"Yes." Ziva agreed, chewing her lower lip, trying hard not to show his comments were hurting her. "Like your impending wedding, which is why I thought you would be working all hours trying to solve this case."

Tony continued to look her in the eye. "Maybe I don't want this case solved before I marry the love of my life." Tony finally said. "Maybe I want the old team back together in Rota to witness it."

"Yes, and maybe I can have Garrett as my date." Ziva retorted.

"Don't even mention…" Tony began to bark but he stopped himself.

"Did I hit an nerve Tony?" Ziva asked. Tony said nothing. "I mean, Garrett and I did nothing wrong. We are both single, yes?" Again Tony never spoke. "Unlike you, sitting with a fiancée at home."

"Ziva…" Tony sighed, realising this was a fight he could not win.

"Why did you kiss me that night Tony?" Ziva asked. "I mean, I know why I went with Garrett because I needed a release and if it hurt you, it was all the better, but you, you did not need to kiss me."

Again, Tony fell silent. Ziva nodded her head solemnly before she began to gather her things off Kendall's desk. She knew she was not going to get her answer. She looked at Tony again.

"Garrett feels really bad about what happened and he should not because I did not give him much of an option." Ziva stated. "I threw myself at him because I wanted to forget you and forget how being with you could make me feel. I used him so please do not let my actions destroy your team because, from where I am standing it is a pretty good team."

Tony never replied. Ziva sighed and walked away. She had tried her best. "Zee…" Tony finally spoke. Ziva spun around to face him. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that you and Garrett, it was just a one off? Because I'm not an idiot, I saw the looks you shared. I ignored them, told myself I was seeing things but…"

"Honestly, Garrett and I, we have had sex before." Ziva replied. She watched the anger and jealousy flare in Tony's eyes again as he struggled to contain himself. He scrunched a piece of paper in his hands.

"In our defence, it was in the past, before either of us knew who we were." Ziva pointed out. "I thought he was a lawyer, he thought I was a waitress from Italy."

"His booty call." Tony muttered, the answer finally dawning on him.

"Yes, not exactly my proudest moment but…" Ziva stated. "As soon as we realised who we were, we stopped it…he stopped it…because I was your ex, and he did not want to break the guy code."

Tony did not look at her. He just nodded his head and remained silent.

Ziva walked away, heading towards the vending machine. She felt someone touch her arm. She looked up and found Garrett.

"You took a bullet for me, why?" He asked.

Ziva looked back at Tony, who was sitting at his desk, like a broken man, before returning her focus onto Garrett. "Because he needs you." She simply answered. "He needs his best man. He can not get married without one."

"He'll regret it." Garrett observed.

"Regret what?" Ziva asked. "The anger? The right hook? Yeah, I am sure he will."

"No…that I deserved." Garrett replied. "I meant, he'll regret letting you go. You're not like any other any other woman Ziva David."

Ziva nodded her head and gave a small smile before walking away again. She paused for a moment and looked back, watching Tony embrace Garrett in a man hug. She smiled again, despite the tears filling her eyes, and continued walking.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter Preview…Tony finally answers Ziva's question about their kiss while Garrett discovers Kendall undercover. **


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. I really appreciate it and I hope you continue to do so. After a few days off work, I'll be back at work tomorrow and I'm dreading it. Oh well, my summer hols couldn't last forver. ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter and are not too upset about the Tony/Ziva exchange. I decided to go for a relaistic approach, rather than the romantic. It seemed more fitting, in relation to Tony's behaviour. As always, feedback, good or bad, is extremely welcome!**

**Chapter 13**

_NCIS Headquarters, the rooftop, Rota, Spain…1733_

Arielle and Hari were standing on the rooftop. Hari was nervously glancing at his watch. "Where is she Elle?" He asked.

"She'll be here Hari, chill-lax please." Arielle muttered, becoming frustrated by Hari's incessant worrying. "If this is how you acted as Eschel's control officer, it was no wonder he kept you in the dark about Sampson."

"Or maybe what Sampson told Ken was a lie." Hari hissed back. "And what is with the chill-lax? You are not American!"

"Fine…calm down. Is that better?" Arielle snapped. "And Kendall would have been able to spot whether or not he was lying about reporting his brother."

Just then, the rooftop door burst open. Kendall stepped out onto the roof. "What is up with you two?" She asked. "I had 37 missed calls."

"You failed to check in after your shift at the club." Hari barked. "You should always check in and report back. Anything could have happened you!"

"Sorry but I was so exhausted after my shift that I just passed out when I got home." Kendall answered. "Working 20 hour days will do that."

"So why didn't you check in this morning?" Hari pressed.

"I guess I forgot…and then my surveillance session with McGee started." Kendall replied. "It's no biggie."

"No biggie?" Hari scoffed. He turned to Arielle and muttered. "Apparently, it's no biggie."

Arielle sighed. She was fed up trying to calm Hari down. "Any more Ken, check in." Arielle stated. "You are new to undercover work which is why Hari here is a little nervous. Hari is right, anything could have happened."

"Fine, I'll check in anymore." Kendall reluctantly agreed.

"So, how did last night go?" Arielle finally asked.

"It was a quiet night." Kendall fed back. "The Nassifs were there but Benton or Sampson were not. Although, the girls are already talking about Chad and I, which hasn't made me the most popular newbie."

"Try to maintain that cover but don't sleep with him." Hari advised.

"As if I could bring myself to sleep with a possible suspect." Kendall scoffed.

"Oh sweetie, you are so green." Arielle laughed.

"Look, do you guys need me for anything else or can I head home for some sleep before my next shift at the club begins?" Kendall asked, deciding to ignore Arielle.

"Go home but don't forget to check in." Hari replied.

"Yes sir." Kendall muttered and left the rooftop.

"Arielle, I don't think you calling her green is going to help things." Hari sighed, looking at Arielle.

"But you freaking out will." Arielle retorted.

"I just want to keep Kendall safe." Hari shot back.

"Why do you have to keep Kendall safe?" Someone from behind them asked. They both spun around to find Ziva at the door.

"Zee…" Arielle laughed nervously while Hari said nothing.

"What the hell are you two up to now?" Ziva asked. They both remained silent. "Tell me!"

* * *

_Later that night…La Bonita's_

Garrett entered the club to find it was already quite busy. He didn't really know why he was there. Before this case, he used to visit the club a few times a week but now, it didn't have the same buzz. He couldn't escape his work. In fact, being here was work. He found himself looking out for the Nassifs, to see if they were in the company of any Navy personnel.

"Hey Gar baby!" One of the girls, dressed as a French maid, said. "I was beginning to think you moved towns…or got yourself a girl."

"Nope, just swamped with work." He replied.

"Yeah, those murders on the beach." The girl stated. "You know, those two dudes used to come in here. Never bought a lap dance or private show though. I was thinking they were gay. Were they?"

"Trish, you know I can't discuss that with you." Garrett replied, finally naming the French maid. "Anyway, I'm not here to discuss my job."

"So, you want the usual?" Trish, the French maid said, slipping into full seduction mode.

Garrett laughed and stepped back. "Not right now Trish, I need a few drinks." Garrett replied.

"Fine." Trish said, annoyed that she was turned down. "A beer is on the way."

"Thanks." Garrett replied and took a seat, just as another girl headed onto the stage to perform. The seat had a clear view of the Nassifs' booth. He took note that both Benton and Sampson were there, reinforcing that they were correct to have both of them under surveillance.

Suddenly, most of the men and some of the females in the club began to whoop and holler. He looked onto the stage, knowing the commotion was caused by the appearance of a popular performer.

He hoped it was one of his favourites but it wasn't, it was someone he had never saw before. She was dressed in a very revealing sailor themed skirt and top. She had short blonde hair, legs that went on forever, a perfectly toned stomach and breasts that were barely contained in her top.

He sat back, preparing himself to enjoy the show. There was something about this girl. She wasn't like the other girls; there was nothing cheap or tacky about her. She worked the pole like a pro, while connecting with the audience.

However, he did find her attention would often drift to one particular set of eyes. He found her gaze. It was locked on Chad Sampson, and he seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Garrett moved in his seat, trying to get a better look at the girl. There was a possibility that this girl was someone they would have to check out, especially if there was a chance she was involved with Chad Sampson.

The girl was working her way around the stage. She was now heading towards him. He prepared himself; silently wishing Kendall was here with her photographic memory to take the girl's image.

Suddenly, the girl glanced at him and his green eyes locked with a very familiar pair of grey eyes. "Kendall?" He muttered in shock as the girl quickly moved on, keeping her composure, maintaining her performance.

* * *

Garrett stood beside the stage exit, waiting for Kendall to appear. As soon as she slipped through the curtains to do her walk around the club, he grabbed hold of her arm and began heading towards the exit.

"Gar, let me go." She hissed.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" He snapped.

"You're going to ruin everything!" She hissed, breaking free from his hold.

""Molly, is this dude bothering you?" They heard someone ask from behind. Garrett spun around, preparing himself for a fight only to face Benton.

"Marcus, it is fine, I am sorting it." Kendall answered.

"Hey Chad, some guy is bothering your girl." Marcus Benton called. Suddenly, Garrett found himself surrounded by two security men as Chad Sampson approached them.

"Boys, seriously, it was just a little misunderstanding." Kendall pleaded.

"What's going on Molly?" Chad asked. He could tell Garrett worked at NCIS but did not let on.

"This guy wants a lap dance but I was just explaining that I'm reserved for you." Kendall answered.

"Yes you are." Chad replied, slipping his arm around her and slapping her on the bum. He gave her a quick, hard kiss. He looked at Garrett. "Just toss him out boys."

"What?" Garrett argued as the security guys lifted him off his feet and led him towards the exit.

Kendall glanced back, watching him getting thrown out; silently hoping he was not hurt and that he hadn't managed to blow her cover. After all, she knew some of the girls were aware that he was an NCIS agent.

* * *

_The bullpen…2305_

Tony Dinozzo sat at his desk, trying to catch up on his work. He did not even hear Ziva approaching until she stood before his desk and cleared her throat to announce her presence. He looked up.

"Ziva, I was just going to email you." He said.

"Email? Is that how we are going to communicate during this case now?" She muttered.

He ignored her comments and continued talking. "I changed the surveillance schedule." He stated, handing her over a slip of paper. "I am now going to work with Garrett and you will be paired with Arielle. I thought the change would be the best for everyone."

"Yes, it is fine." Ziva sighed, tossing the paper to one side.

"Was there something else?" He asked, noticing that she had not moved from her position, in front of his desk.

She sighed and perched herself on the edge of his desk. "I need to talk to you, director to team leader." She stated. "I found out something today and it is only fair that I share it." She paused. "Two of my officers took it upon themselves to take our investigation in another direction…and they enlisted one of your agents."

"What the hell did Finley do now?" Tony groaned.

"It was not Garrett, it was Kendall." Ziva replied. "For the last few nights, she has been working undercover as a dancer in La Bonita's."

"What?" Tony exclaimed in shock.

"It was Arielle and Hari's idea, so I am taking full responsibility, and they will face disciplinary action when they return to Israel." Ziva stated. "They should never have involved one of your agents, especially a probationer."

"How was her cover going?" Tony asked, annoyed with himself. He was so wrapped up in Carmela and Ziva; he did not even notice Kendall's involvement.

"Actually, pretty well." Ziva answered. "She has made some discoveries, mainly involving Sampson. He is not the recruiter, or part of the terrorist ring. In fact, he alerted Eschel to his brother's involvement."

Tony nodded his head solemnly. "I guess we should call a meeting in the morning and bring these developments to light." He suggested.

Of course." Ziva agreed. "I will debrief you in detail in the morning." She stood up and was about to walk away when Tony spoke again.

"Ziva…" He softly stated. She turned to look at him, her eyes questioning what he was going to say. "How did things suddenly get so awkward so quickly with us?"

"Tony, I think you know the answer." Ziva replied.

"Right." He sighed. "I kissed you, even though I have a fiancée."

"Yes, that would be the reason, among others." Ziva muttered. She began to walk away again.

"I didn't mean for this to happen Ziva." He said, stopping her in her tracks again. She spun around to face him.

"So what did you expect to happen when you kissed me?" Ziva finally snapped, her professional demeanour completely shattered. "Because you kissed me Tony, you initiated it."

"I know." He muttered.

"So why did you do it?" Ziva asked, her eyes becoming softer.

"I don't know." He answered.

"You do not know?" Ziva laughed. "Typical Tony." She began to walk away again.

"It just felt right." He finally said. Ziva stopped but she did not turn around. "Being with you, listening to you…it just made me want to hold you again, touch you again. I wanted to be the one to comfort you, to kiss away your tears. I needed to be with you, because Zee, the way I feel when I'm with you, it's indescribable. No one else can make me feel the way you do. No one can make me fall in love the way you do."

"Not even Carmela?" Ziva asked, still refusing to look at him.

"Especially not Carmela." Tony replied.

"So why are you marrying her?" Ziva asked, finally looking at him.

"Because she's the kinda girl you marry Ziva." Tony answered. "She makes life easy."

"And that is what you want? An easy life?" Ziva asked. "We could have an easy life."

"Zee, us? Together? It would never be easy!" Tony laughed. "Your father would never let you marry an Italian Catholic to begin with."

"It is a small obstacle." Ziva argued, stepping towards his desk.

"And what about living here in Rota?" Tony asked. "Could you stay here? Living in the same town as Carmela?"

"Well yes, after all, it would not be forever." Ziva replied.

"Why would we not stay here forever?" Tony asked.

"Because you would return to D.C. and take over Gibbs' job." Ziva answered.

"But I'm happy with my job here." Tony stated, which was met by a scoff from Ziva.

"Oh please Tony, you can not be serious." She sighed, when she noticed her scoffing hurt his feelings.

"Ziva, I spent the last five years building my life here…I'm not going to throw it away." He stated coolly. "Especially for a job were I would constantly be compared to Gibbs. And don't try and say it wouldn't happen because I had it before when he jumped ship to Mexico."

"So you are putting your job before us?" She observed. "Before our love?"

"Aren't you doing exactly the same? Saying you don't want to stay here?" Tony shot back.

Ziva stayed silent for a few moments before she finally spoke. "You are right Tony, marry Carmela, have the easy life." She walked away. Tony didn't bother responding. He let her go.

* * *

_Kendall's apartment block…0134_

Kendall stood in the elevator, leading up to her apartment. She was wearing her short stone Mac, with the belt loosely tied. She removed her blonde wig, freeing her luscious red bouncy curls.

As the elevator came to a stop, she pulled her keys out of her purse and exited the elevator. She began walking down the hallway towards her apartment.

As she approached her apartment, she inwardly groaned, recognising the man sitting on the floor outside her door. He stood up as she approached.

"Garrett, what are you doing here?" She asked, with a resigned sigh. She didn't even know he had remembered where she lived. He had been over once, when she first joined the team but she never invited him back, after he hit on most of her female friends.

"I think I should be asking what you are doing." He snapped back.

"I thought it was pretty obvious, I was dancing." She answered as she opened her door. She walked into her apartment. Garrett quickly followed. "Geez, don't wait for an invite or anything."

He ignored her last comment as he watched her walk into her kitchenette. "Why are you doing this Ken?" He asked. He watched her fill her kettle with water. "Are you trying to prove yourself?"

Kendall stopped filling the kettle and slammed it down. She spun around to face him, her coat falling open in the process, revealing the revealing sailor outfit. "Prove myself?" She snapped. "I'm trying to solve the bloody case!"

"We are all trying to solve the case but it is only you going against orders." Garrett retorted. "Ken, you have no idea of the danger you put yourself in…going it alone."

"I can take care of myself Garrett!" She hissed, stepping towards him. "In case you hadn't noticed, I am a pretty good agent."

"Yes, I know Ken but you're still a probie…" He stressed, while trying to avoid looking at her "And those guys, they're bad guys!"

"They are not all bad." Kendall argued. "Sampson isn't part of the terrorist ring."

"Oh is that what he told you so he could stick his tongue down you throat?" Garrett snapped, still avoiding eye contact with her.

"Watch out Gar, you're sounding a little jealous there!" Kendall hissed.

"God Ken!" He sighed with frustration. "Just go and put some clothes on!"

"Why?" Kendall asked, removing her jacket. She stepped closer to him. "Am I making you uncomfortable? Do you not like seeing your little 'probie' like this? Well newsflash Garrett I'm a woman!"

"Trust me Ken, I am well aware that you are a woman." He grunted through gritted teeth. He was finally looking her in the eye.

Kendall found her breathing deepening, as she saw the fire in his eyes. Within a split second, she felt Garrett's strong right hand grip the back of her head and pull her towards him. His lips crashed against hers with as much urgency and passion he could display.

Just as Kendall felt herself relax in his touch, he pulled away and backed off. Her eyes looked at him, confused and questioning him. "Shit Ken…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" He began to apologise, breathlessly.

"Don't, just don't." Kendall interrupted, also struggling for breath. She raised her hands and cupped his cheeks, taking him by surprise. She hungrily pressed her lips against his, for a passionate, open-mouthed kiss.

Garrett wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him; before one hand trailed it's way up her back, tangling in her hair. They stumbled towards the bedroom, their lips never breaking contact.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter Preview…Will Kendall's undercover knowledge finally lead to the closing of the case?**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! A big thank you for everyone who has took the time to read and review this fic! I really appreciate your support! All being well, there will two more chapters after this one, which is funny saying I orignally only planned for 14. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please feel free to post a review, good or bad! Thanks! **

**Chapter 14**

_The next morning…Kendall's apartment…0608_

Kendall's eyelids began to flutter, adjusting to the sunlight shining into her room; a tangled white sheet covering her naked body. She sighed happily and rolled over, her arm stretching out to cuddle the person beside her, but it found no one.

She quickly opened her eyes, cursing herself, for believing things would be different. She had been his partner for a year; she had seen the many women he had treated badly. Why would she be any different? Why was she expecting him to stick around for the wake up call?

Then, her eyes fell onto the pillow, with a handwritten note delicately placed there. She lifted the note and began to read it. A small smile began to spread across her lips

_K, Sorry you had to wake up alone this morning._

_I was going to waken you but you looked so beautiful._

_I had to stop by my place to pick up a change of clothes._

_See you at the office._

_XXX G._

"I guess I'll see you at the office." Kendall quietly mumbled, a smile fixed on her lips. She slipped out of bed and headed towards the shower.

* * *

_NCIS Conference Room…0633_

Ziva David stood at the table in the conference room, organising the notes she had prepared for today's meeting. She was dressed in a charcoal grey pencil skirt and matching waistcoat, with a white button down shirt, with thin delicate grey pinstripes. Her long dark hair was set in soft bouncy curls. Her make up was minimal and she wore black 3-inch heeled shoes.

She could hear someone walking down the corridor, outside the conference room. "Tony?" She called out. She was expecting him to arrive soon, for a debriefing before the rest of the team arrived.

"Sorry, it's just me." Garrett said as he entered the conference room. "Wow! Back in the power suits? This looks serious."

"Yes, the meeting this morning will contain some serious, vital information." Ziva replied, leaning against the conference table.

"Anything I should be worried about?" Garrett asked.

"Not unless you have been running an unauthorised undercover assignment." Ziva replied. She could see the panic spread across his face as he realised they discovered Kendall's new job at La Bonita's. Ziva sighed. "How long have you known about Kendall?"

"How did you…?" He began to ask. Garrett shook his head, amazed at her ability to read him without him having to say any words. "I found out last night, when I decided to visit La Bonita's, off duty, as a civilian."

"And when were you going to tell the rest of the team about your discovery?" Ziva asked. Garrett said nothing. "Oh, you were not going to."

"It's complicated Ziva." Garrett answered.

"It is not complicated." Ziva stated. "You are her partner, you want to keep her safe, even though not saying anything might leave her open to more danger."

"Did you ever get Tony into trouble by trying to protect him?" Garrett asked.

"Yes, on a few occasions." Ziva replied, a warm smile spreading across her lips. "And of course, Tony returned the favour. It is inevitable when you care about your partner." Garrett just nodded his head in response. He was deep in thought. "Garrett, is there something else you would like to discuss?" She could tell he was troubled.

"No, I think I'm good." He replied.

"Okay." Ziva said with a warm smile. She returned to her papers but kept one eye on Garrett. She could see he was troubled as he squirmed in his seat, debating whether or not he should speak.

Finally, he made his decision. "What I am about to discuss with you may be a little awkward, considering our past so if you don't want to…" He began to say.

"Garrett, I am here to listen." She answered, putting her papers down. "You have seen every scar and tattoo on my body. I think we are past the awkward stage."

"Okay." He sighed, before speaking. "I um, I kinda did something stupid last night. When I saw Ken at the club…Shit! I don't know how to say this."

"So just say it." Ziva advised.

"I slept with Kendall." He spat out. "And then I freaked out and left a note because I was worried about facing her."

"Do you regret it?" Ziva asked.

"What? No!" Garret exclaimed. "I just…I don't know how I got here…to actually seeing Ken as someone other than my partner."

"Well, you care for her, yes?" Ziva stated.

"Of course!" Garrett answered. "I mean, sure, Ken and I…we've always had a pretty screwed up relationship. One minute we're sniping at each other, the next we've got each other's back. Kinda like a big brother/little sister relationship. Only last night…I definitely wasn't seeing her as anything sisterly."

"Well yes, that would be a problem." Ziva teased.

"Ziva, I'm having a serious problem here!" Garrett stressed.

"Well, what is the problem here Garrett?" Ziva asked. "You do not regret it, are you worried she will regret it?"

"Well now I am!" Garrett exclaimed.

"Ignore that!" Ziva stated. "She will not have regretted it. I know she cares for you. I can see it in her eyes."

"What if I screw it up Zee?" Garrett suddenly asked. "We're partners. What if I hurt her and she can't work with me anymore. I'll have destroyed the team."

"You will not screw it up Garrett." Ziva assured him.

"It's me Ziva." Garrett pointed out. "You were my longest relationship since high school, and we weren't even in a relationship! I know I'll hurt her. I know I'll screw it up!"

"Do not say that Garrett!" Ziva snapped, placing her hands on his shoulders. She looked him in the eye. "Do not believe that! You are going to make this work, if that is what you both want. Do not think what you are thinking…and do not run away from it because there is no going back."

"You're thinking about you and Tony now, aren't you?" Garrett observed. "He ran, because he was worried about screwing up, just like me."

Ziva let go of his shoulders and looked down at the table. "Yes." She answered.

"And he regretted it." Garrett stated.

"I do not think so." Ziva answered.

"Trust me Zee, he did." Garrett said. Ziva looked up at him. "I was here when he arrived in Rota and he was a broken man, talking about the love he walked away from…and how much he regretted it. Why do think I felt so bad when I discovered who you really were?"

"But he has moved on now…which is proof, even if things do not work out, life will go on for both you and Kendall." Ziva stated. "So learn from Tony's mistake, do not run away…do not have the regret. Talk to Kendall, and be honest. Honesty is all you have."

"Thanks Zee, you are a good listener." He stated as he stood up. He placed a kiss on the top of her head. Ziva smiled in return. "Before I go, can I just ask? How did you and Tony cope with the morning after awkwardness?"

"Honestly, I walked out on him." Ziva replied. "I did not want to be there when he woke up. I was so sure he would wake up and regret it that I did not want to be there. So, I phoned in to work sick, thinking if I avoided him, it would be like it never happened. But, Tony being Tony, he turned up at my apartment with chicken soup and it I could just tell, by the look in his eyes, he was scared but did not regret it."

"I'm kinda regretting not sticking around for the wake up call now." Garrett said. "So we could have the talk."

"Do not worry, your eyes will say what they need to say too." Ziva replied, giving him another small, warm smile.

"Thanks Ziva." Garrett stated and left the conference room. As he exited the conference room, he bumped into Tony, standing outside. "Hey boss." He couldn't help but wonder how long he had been standing there.

"Morning Garrett." Tony coolly replied. "Is Ziva ready for me?"

"She's all yours." Garrett replied and walked away as quickly as possible, desperate to avoid any more questions.

Tony entered the conference room to find Ziva, standing at the head of the table, organising her paperwork. He couldn't help but notice her clothing. "Back in the suits." He observed. "Somebody means business today."

"Well, Kendall's discovery about Sampson could be the break we need to solve this case and get me out of your hair so yes I mean business." Ziva replied.

"And is everything okay with Finley?" Tony asked. "I couldn't help but notice you talking to him."

"So now I can not even talk to him?" Ziva retorted. "Because I slept with him."

"I'm just checking there are no problems with my team." Tony answered defensively.

"Well, unless you have a rule number 12, which I highly doubt because it would be hypocritical of you, then no, you do not have a problem with your team." Ziva snapped.

"Are we fighting?" Tony asked.

"If we were, you would be lying on the floor." Ziva retorted.

"So what is with the attitude?" Tony asked.

"I am just trying to solve a case Tony." Ziva answered. "So you can get your easy life back." She tossed a file at him. "Here is all the information Kendall, Hari and Arielle pulled from their unauthorised operation. Make sure you are up to date before the meeting."

She walked out of the conference room, distancing herself from him, trying to regain her composure. She thought she could deal with her feelings. She thought she could convince herself that she didn't care. How wrong could she be?

* * *

_Thirty minutes later…_

Kendall was walking towards the conference room for the meeting. She was dressed in black trousers and a purple shirt that was tucked into the trousers. Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail. She spotted Garrett waiting outside. She took a deep breath and walked towards him. It was the first time she saw him after last night.

"Hey, have you any idea what this meeting is about?" She asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah, I have some idea." Garrett replied, also trying to sound casual.

"So um, you left my apartment pretty quick." Kendall stated, as she shoved her hands in her pockets and looked down at her feet. "Do you think that maybe we should talk about what happened?"

"Ken, not now." Garrett replied.

"Right of course, silly me." Kendall mumbled in response and turned to head into the conference room, avoiding Garrett's eye line.

"Ken, wait!" Garrett stated, taking hold of her arm. She spun around to face him. "That didn't come out right." He swallowed hard, aware that her eyes were now studying him. "What I meant was, we shouldn't talk about this right now. We're in work and last night, it was nothing to do with work, it was to do with us."

"Us?" Kendall asked, surprised at his choice of words.

"Ken, I don't regret what happened, you need to know that." Garrett continued. "And I agree, we need to talk but not here, just before a meeting. Let's talk over dinner, at my place?"

She looked at his eyes. She had watched him over the years charm so many women around him but this time, she could tell he was genuine. She smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that."

She saw the relief wash over his eyes. She was so busy staring into his eyes that she did not hear or see Ziva approach.

"Agent Finley, Agent Hickey…are you going to join us for this meeting?" Ziva asked, her tone cold and formal.

"Oh! Of course!" Kendall exclaimed, breaking out of her trance. She headed into the conference room and took her seat, alongside Garrett. Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Tony, Arielle and Hari were already there. Ziva took her place at the head of the table.

"Now, as some of you may already know, if you looked over the intel in front of you, three members of our team have been running an unauthorised undercover operation out of the La Bonita's club." Ziva stated, getting straight to the point. "They are Officers Cohen and Baran, and Agent Hickey."

"You told?" Kendall accused Garrett, turning to face him.

"Of course not Ken." Garrett defended himself. "You know I wouldn't do that." Kendall backed down, knowing he was telling the truth.

"Wait! You knew?" Tony asked Garrett.

"I only found out last night boss." Garrett assured Tony.

"How the hell could the three of you do that?" Gibbs started to rant. "Do you know how stupid and dangerous your actions…"

Ziva held up her hand to stop Gibbs mid-flow. He stopped talking. "We all know what happened was extremely dangerous and could have jeopardised our whole operation." Ziva stated. "And do not be mistaken, Hari and Arielle will face disciplinary action when we return to Israel." Hari and Arielle slid further into their seats. "Agent Hickey, it will be up to Tony and the Director to decide if you will face the same action."

"Okay." Kendall muttered.

"That being said, I do think you should be commended, along with Hari and Arielle." Ziva said. "Your actions undercover have provided us with vital intel that we may have never discovered."

Ziva could hear Gibbs scoff but she ignored it. "Now, we need to move with this information and get this case closed." Ziva said. "I want Sampson brought in."

"What? No!" Kendall protested. "If that happens, Benton and the Nassifs may get suspicious."

"Ken, we'll bring him in with some of the other members of the platoon." McGee pointed out. "We'll make out that we want more info on Schimel and Davidson."

"Ken, we need him brought in to double check your information." Tony added.

"Fine, as long as he's not put at risk." Kendall replied.

"Finley. McGee, Gibbs…bring them in." Ziva ordered, smiling a little when Gibbs did a double take about receiving orders as he left. "The rest of you are dismissed." Everyone began to make their way out of the conference room.

* * *

_The bullpen…0918_

Ziva stood at the window, staring out at the scenery before her. She could see the coastline and harbour so clearly. It was so different to the scenery in D.C. It was easy to see why life in Rota seemed so simple and relaxing. She held a cup of coffee in her hands; occasionally, she would bring it to her lips to sip.

"So, that was the Director of European Affairs in action today in the conference room." Tony's familiar voice said. "You were quite good. Very professional…Vance like even. "

"Should you not be in interrogation?" Ziva asked, not turning around.

"I thought Gibbs could handle it." Tony replied. "I thought he deserved it after you cut him down to size. He was always the master of interrogations."

"Wow! You defending Gibbs, that is something I thought I would never hear again." Ziva stated.

Tony sat himself down on the windowsill so he was now facing Ziva. "So, are Kendall and Garrett sleeping together?" He asked.

"Is that why you are here Tony?" Ziva asked, her eyes not leaving the view in front of her. "To hear the gossip?"

"Actually I really wanted to talk about us but I thought I needed an ice breaker." Tony answered with a smile. "I already know Kendall and Garrett have slept together."

"So what did you want to discuss with me?" Ziva asked, still not taking her eyes off the view. She took another sip of her coffee. "I mean, there really is no _us_ to talk about."

"I just, I can't believe you thought I would regret the first night we spent together." Tony said. Ziva finally looked down at him. Her eyes filled with questions. "I overheard part of your conversation with Garrett this morning."

She nodded her head knowingly. "Of course you did." She mumbled.

"Zee, the morning after we slept together, I woke up, wanting you to be there, to prove to myself that it wasn't a dream but you were gone." Tony stated. "I wanted to be with you for so long that there was no chance I'd regret it when it did finally happen."

"But when I didn't find you there, I started to think you regretted it." Tony continued. "Especially when you phoned in sick. That's why I called to see you, with chicken soup, even though I knew you weren't sick. And yes I was scared…I was scared by how much I loved you…still love you."

"Tony, please do not tell me this." Ziva sighed, returning her focus to the scenery outside the window.

"Ziva, I thought you should know." Tony stated.

"Why?" Ziva snapped in hushed tones, looking at him again. "It does not change anything. The facts still remain the same. You still ran away from me…you are still engaged and you still plan on marrying Carmela."

"Ziva, I have to do the right thing." Tony stated softly.

"The right thing?" Ziva asked. "You tell me you love me but you will not take the chance on us, because it will not be easy. So instead, you walk away and plan on marrying Carmela."

"What do you want me to do Ziva?" Tony asked. "Yes, I still love you but I love Carmela too. I moved on…I fell in love again with someone who understands and loves who I am today, not the Tony Dinozzo who I was in D.C. Am I so wrong to want an easy life? I need to do the right thing for all of us."

"Tony, if you wanted to do the right thing, all you had to do was tell Gibbs where to go when you were back in D.C." Ziva retorted. "But instead you ran…thinking that was the easy way out. Too bad you did not count on the trail of destruction you left behind. There was nothing easy about that."

Ziva tossed her coffee in the bin and walked away, leaving Tony deep in thought.

* * *

_The interrogation room…0942_

Garrett stood in the darkened room, looking into the interrogation room. He was amazed as he watched Gibbs trying to get information out of Chad Sampson. He had once heard Tony refer to his old boss as the master of interrogation, and he was; but none of his tricks were working on Sampson.

"I told you." Chad repeated. "I'll only talk to Kendall."

Gibbs slammed his hands down on the table. "And I told you Agent Hickey isn't here." Gibbs retorted. "So start talking about what you know or I'll arrest your ass for preventing the course of justice."

"You do that and you'll lose everything." Chad replied, calling Gibbs' bluff. "I want Kendall."

"Hey, how's it going?" Kendall asked Garrett as she entered the darkened room.

"He won't talk to anyone but you." Garrett answered. Before he could say anything else, Kendall headed towards the door. "Ken, where the hell are you going? If we don't interrupt the boss when in the interrogation room, we certainly don't interrupt Gibbs."

However, his statement was too late as he watched the door to the interrogation room bust open. "Agent Hickey, what the hell?" Gibbs spat.

"I thought she wasn't here." Chad observed smugly.

"Agent Gibbs, can I talk to our guest for a moment?" She asked, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

"Sure. Why not? It's not like you are a probie or anything?" Gibbs muttered sarcastically before leaving the room to join Garrett in the bay.

Kendall perched herself on the desk. She was facing Sampson; her leg was brushing against his; her body was leaning back, supported by her arms.

"Why the hell am I here Ken?" Chad Sampson asked.

"You and some of the platoon are helping us with our enquiries into Davidson and Schimel's characters." Kendall replied. "I know we interviewed you before on base but we are still trying to establish why would anyone want Schimel and Davidson dead…or at least that is our official line so Benton will not get suspicious."

"You still brought me in…you still took the chance…why?" Chad asked.

"It wasn't my choice." Kendall replied. "My superiors found out that I was carrying out an unauthorised undercover operation and they wanted you brought in, to double check my Intel."

"It was unauthorised?" Chad laughed. "That was stupid…and dangerous!"

"And infiltrating a terrorist ring alone isn't stupid or dangerous?" Kendall shot back.

"Maybe that is why I was drawn to you." Chad reasoned. "We're two of a kind."

Kendall glanced up at the glass panel separating the interrogation bay from the room. She could sense Garrett squirming. She knew he would probably be jealous, and he was.

She moved away from the table and began walking around the room. "Chad I really need you to talk." Kendall pleaded. "The longer this continues, the less chance you have of walking away, with your life and free of charges. Tell us what we need to know and we can cut a deal, and make sure you and your Navy career are safe."

"What do you need to know Kendall?" Chad reluctantly asked.

"When are you going to meet up with the rest of the ring?" Kendall retorted. "The guys in Syria? I know something is coming up. You and Benton have been spending more time at the club with the Nassifs. Benton has been dropping messages at the coffee shop. When is it going down?"

"Tomorrow night." Chad answered. "At the club, after closing."

Kendall looked back at the glass panel. "Wow! She's good…real good." Gibbs muttered while Garrett smiled with pride.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter Preview…the bust happens, and Ziva must face her demons**


	16. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! It's the penultimate chapter of As Time Went By...I hope you enjoy! As usual, all feedback, good or back, is extremely welcome so please review. Thanks in advance!**

**Chapter 15**

_The next day…_

_Tony's beach house…0634_

Tony was standing in his bathroom, patting his face dry with a towel, after shaving. He was wearing jeans. He had not put on his top yet. He could hear Carmela's gentle footsteps on their flagstone floor.

She appeared at the doorframe of the bathroom, her reflection clearly captured on the bathroom mirror Tony was facing. She was wearing a white silk chemise that rested just below her buttocks.

"You were not going to waken me?" She asked.

"I didn't want to disturb you." Tony answered as he splashed on some aftershave. "You looked too peaceful and beautiful."

"Tony, are we okay?" She asked.

"Why…why would you ask that?" He stuttered, caught off guard. He looked at her. "Of course we're okay."

"It's just, we went for over a week without sex." Carmela tried to stress. "Then a few days ago, we made love five times in one night but since then, I've barely gotten a hug from you. You've been working long hours…you never phone me…"

"Carmela!" Tony scoffed. "I'm trying to solve a double murder here. Welcome to the life of a federal agent. You knew who I was when we got engaged."

"No Tony, life wasn't like this…you're work load wasn't like this!" Carmela argued.

"Yeah well figuring out who was stealing supplies from the base doesn't need the same commitment as a murder enquiry." Tony snapped, talking about his usual cases in Rota. "When I was D.C., the long hours were part of my daily routine."

"Yes but I didn't say yes to the Tony from D.C., I said yes to the Tony from Rota." Carmela stated.

"I really can't get into this with you now." Tony sighed, pulling on a t-shirt. "We'll talk when I get back." He gave her a quick kiss and left.

* * *

_Garrett's apartment…0641_

Garrett stood by the cooker, cooking some scrambled eggs. He could hear soft footsteps on his tiled floor. He turned around to find Kendall, sliding herself onto his breakfast bar, wearing nothing but one of his white button down shirts; her long red hair tied in a rough bun.

"I was going to bring you breakfast in bed." Garrett stated.

"Dinner last night, breakfast today…watch out or I could get used to this." She replied as Garrett walked towards her. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him. "You are spoiling me."

"Well that is the kind of boyfriend I am." He softly said as Kendall wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We're really going to try this, aren't we?" She asked, looking directly into Garrett's eyes; her fingers softly dancing through his hair.

"I meant what I said Ken." Garrett answered. "I don't regret us hooking up. I want to be with you." Kendall softly smiled before pressing her lips against his for soft but loving kiss.

They broke apart; their foreheads resting together. "I just hope everything goes okay tonight, during the bust." Kendall quietly said. "I've never been involved in a bust like this before. I don't want to screw it up; I don't want to put Chad in danger after he put his faith in me."

"Hey!" Garrett said, placing his finger under her chin to lift her head up, to look her in the eye. "You are the best NCIS field agent we have…even the mighty Gibbs was impressed. Everything will be okay."

She gave a small laugh. "Except your eggs." She observed.

"What?" Garrett asked, confused.

"They're burnt." She answered.

"Shit!" Garrett cried, rushing over to cooker to remove the pan off the heat as Kendall quietly laughed.

* * *

_Later that day…NCIS Conference Room_

Ziva stood before the rest of the team in the conference room. She had just finished debriefing them on their roles for tonight's bust.

The plan was simple. According to Chad Sampson, he, the Nassifs, Benton, Wilson, Kerr, Chad's brother Cooper and a few other known Syrian terrorists would be meeting up at the club, to finalise their latest planned assault on Israel.

Sampson had assured Kendall that detailed plans of the assault would be there. All the team had to do was raid the club, capture the men and the plans. There were only two entrances to the club; the front and the back.

Hari and Gibbs, Kendall and McGee would cover the front; leaving Tony and Garrett, Ziva and Arielle to cover the back.

"So is everyone clear on their role?" She asked.

"Yes" was muttered throughout the room.

"Okay." Ziva sighed. "You are dismissed but please, remember to stick with your partner and have each other's backs."

Everyone nodded and began to file out of the room. Arielle approached Ziva, who was tidying away the projection equipment. Neither of them noticed Gibbs loitering at the door.

"Zee, I noticed you are taking part in the bust." Arielle softly stated.

"And you are surprised, why?" Ziva responded.

"You're not a field officer anymore Ziva." Arielle answered. "It has been many years since you have fired a gun under pressure. Hell! You only recently started going to the shooting range again. I don't think you are ready."

"Arielle, who is the director?" Ziva asked. "Who is the boss?"

"You." Arielle replied.

"So do not question me, or my abilities in the field." Ziva asked. "Do you understand?"

"Perfectly." Arielle answered and headed out of the conference room.

As she exited, she bumped into Gibbs. She could tell, by the look in his eyes, that he had overheard their discussion. "Please do not tell me you think she is right, doing this?" Arielle snapped.

"She needs to do it Arielle. She needs the closure." Gibbs softly replied.

"She will get herself killed." Arielle retorted. "She's my best friend. It is my job to protect her. I can't agree to this. I can't have her blood on my hands."

"Well let me partner her." Gibbs offered. "I'll keep her safe." Arielle nodded her head reluctantly. She knew Ziva was determined to go through with the bust, no matter what Arielle did.

* * *

_NCIS Headquarters, basement entrance…0241_

Every member of the team were dressed in black, making the finally preparations before the bust. Ziva was dressed in black jeans and a simple black top; her long dark hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail. She was strapping on a bulletproof vest.

"Ziva, are you sure you can do this?" Tony asked.

She looked up to find him standing before her. "How many times have we done this together and you have never once doubted me?" Ziva responded.

"That was different…you were different." Tony stated.

"I am not the only one with a few cobwebs in the skills department." Ziva pointed out. "Carrying out raids here in Rota is a rare occasion, is it not?"

"But I didn't freeze the last time I held a gun." Tony shot back.

Ziva hung her head and chewed her lower lip. She was mad. She resented that he used something she told him in confidence against her. She looked him in the eye. "It will not happen again."

"Ziva, I just don't want you to get hurt." Tony stressed.

"It is too late for that." She quietly hissed before walking away.

Tony hung his head. When he lifted up his head again, he saw Gibbs standing before him.

"She'll be okay Tony." Gibbs stated. "She has to do this, for herself."

"If anything happens her…" Tony began to threaten. He trailed off.

"It won't." Gibbs assured him.

* * *

_La Bonita's, Rota, Spain…0302_

The night sky was completely dark; the only light was from the flashing signs, belonging to La Bonita's. There was no one around. There was silence. Every member of the team held his or her position, hidden in the dark, surrounding the entrance and exit.

Ziva, Gibbs and Tony were behind a dumpster at the back of the building. Garrett joined them quietly, hunched down, maintaining their cover.

"The club is empty, apart from the men Sampson told us would be there." Garrett replied. "It's pretty clear on the heat sensors, all the girls and patrons have left."

"And what about their position?" Tony asked.

"Exactly were Sampson said they would be." Garrett replied. "In the main area of the club, all around the one table. They're like sitting ducks."

Tony glanced at Ziva. She had been extremely quiet since they left the headquarters, trying to maintain her concentration but Tony could see the nerves in her eyes.

"We're in position." He heard Arielle say over their earpieces.

"Move out." Ziva ordered.

Suddenly, the four agents/officers at each entrance charged into the club, finding their targets where they were told they would be. All the men were surprised, apart from Chad, but it did not take them long to find shelter and begin firing their weapons. The agents/officers returned fire, injuring some of their suspects.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ziva could see Hadi Nassif slip behind one of the curtains. Without thinking, she followed him.

Tony caught Ziva's movement from the corner of his eye as he sheltered himself from the heavy fire he was receiving from Aarif Nassif. "Gibbs!" He called, as he returned fire.

"I'm on it!" Gibbs replied, already following Ziva.

Tony took aim and shot Aarif in the arm, causing Aarif to drop his gun. He moved himself forward, avoiding the bullets spraying across the club. He could see that his team of agents and officers were gaining control.

He approached Aarif and kicked the gun away from his reach. He knelt down to slap on the handcuffs. He could see Garrett approaching, after taking down both of the Sampson brothers.

"Go after Ziva." Garrett ordered him. "We got this!" Tony nodded thanks and ran off in the direction of Ziva and Gibbs.

* * *

Ziva followed Hadi, making sure to clear every passageway she took. She stepped into a room. It was the room reserved for 'peek-a-boo' shows, with two-way mirrors. She scanned the room, holding her gun, ready to fire.

Suddenly, the door closed behind her. She spun around, to face Hadi, pointing a gun at her. He locked the door behind him. It was just the two of them in the room.

"Well, well, look who it is." He laughed. "Sophia Danano…but no Lorena." He was using Ziva's cover.

"Hello Hadi, long time no see." Ziva replied casually, even though her body felt like jelly. She focused her gun on him.

"Ziva…Ziva…Ziva…what are you doing here?" He teased. "I heard Mossad no longer trusted you in the field." He was pacing around her in circles.

"I am here to stop you and Aarif, like I should have done all those years ago." Ziva replied, also moving in circles, neither one making a move.

"I've waited a long time for this." Hadi stated. "I've dreamed of this moment…killing the one who killed my brother."

"If I remembered correctly, you were the one who fired the gun." Ziva retorted.

"He was dead long before then!" Hadi snapped. "You…you changed him. He was no longer Jamal, he no longer understood our way of life."

"Ziva! Ziva!" She could hear Gibbs pounding on the door but she did not take her eyes off Hadi.

"He will not get in." Hadi stated. "It is just you and me."

"Ziva!" She heard Tony call. She wavered a little. "Gibbs? Where the hell is she? You were meant to have her back!"

She could hear Gibbs attempting to calm Tony down. Then she heard the footsteps move. She could tell they had now moved behind the two-way mirrors, so they could see her but she couldn't see them.

"Ziva! Ziva! We have to get her!" She could hear Arielle cry as she banged against the mirrors.

"Lorena?" Hadi laughed. "How perfect! Now you will see me kill your sister…sorry, your Mossad boss."

"Hadi…if you hurt her I swear to…" Arielle began to rant, the pounding on the mirrors and door becoming louder, but Ziva blocked out all the noise. She focused on Hadi and his laughter.

She watched as he took aim. She froze, momentarily, her eyes on his lips, as he spoke. "This is for Jamal." She felt a bullet shoot through her shoulder, the pressure of the impact, mixing with the warmth of her blood. Her legs buckled. She heard Arielle scream.

Her eyes stayed on Hadi watching him laugh. "No, this is for Jamal!" She stated, before taking aim. She shot at his hand, the blood shot out of his palm as he dropped his gun in shock.

"You bitch!" He screamed, just as she took aim again, shooting him in his left knee. He crumpled to the floor.

Suddenly, the door to the room, finally busted open and Gibbs, Tony and Arielle rushed in. Ziva fell against the wall and slid down it, still holding her gun as the pain of her shoulder finally took hold.

She saw Gibbs kick the gun away from Hadi's reach before handcuffing him. She felt Arielle and Tony by her side, picking her up. "Please tell me we got what we need for his ass to rot in jail?" She begged, making sure she was right not to take his life when she had the chance.

"We got it Zee, we got it." Arielle reassured her.

Ziva glanced at Tony. She could see the worry and concern in his eyes as the blood continued to ooze out of her wound. "Tony, it is just a little wound." She tried to reassure him.

"Ziva, that was too close!" He stated, a few tears shining in his eyes. "If you had…" He trailed off and Ziva swallowed hard, knowing what he was going to say. "It was too close." He repeated.

* * *

_NCIS Headquarters…0437_

Timothy McGee was standing in the bullpen, gathering together all the information he would need to carry out the questioning and interrogation of the suspects that were unharmed in the bust. He could hear Kendall entering the bullpen.

"Tim, we put the suspects in separate rooms for questioning." She said. "Garrett is with Cooper Sampson, Hari is with James Wilson, and I've left Tucker Benton for you."

"What about Chad?" McGee asked.

"He's in the conference room." Kendall replied. "I'm going to take his statement." McGee nodded his head knowingly.

"We had to arrest him too Ken, so the rest of the ring wouldn't get suspicious." McGee stated.

"I know." Kendall answered. "Will Gibbs be coming back for the interrogation?"

"No, he's going to stay at the hospital with Arielle and the suspects that were injured." McGee replied.

"Any word about Ziva?" Kendall asked.

"No, Tony and Abby are there so I'm sure they'll let us know." McGee replied.

"Okay." Kendall said. She began to walk away.

"Ken?" McGee called.

"Yeah?" Kendall replied, turning around to face him.

"You handled yourself really well during this case." McGee stated.

"Apart from carrying out an unauthorised undercover assignment." Kendall muttered.

"You did good." McGee reaffirmed. "Have you thought about were you see yourself in the future?"

"Well of course I want to climb up the ladder…be a senior field officer, team leader…maybe make it to D.C. someday." Kendall replied. "Why?"

"Because there is a position available on my team in D.C. and I'd like you to consider yourself for it." McGee replied. "I have already discussed this offer with Gibbs and Tony."

"Right." Kendall muttered, in shock.

"Just think about it." McGee said and headed towards the interrogation rooms.

* * *

_The Emergency Room, St. Theresa's Hospital, Rota, Spain…0449_

Abby and Tony sat in the emergency room, their eyes focused on the curtain surrounding a cubicle, where Ziva lay.

"I thought these days were over." Abby sighed. "It has been so long since I've had to come to the hospital because of one of you. Tim, Gibbs, Ziva…they all promised after I had Tabitha to stay safe."

"Trust me Abs, no one wanted to be back in this situation." Tony replied.

"So why was she there Tony?" Abby snapped, looking Tony in the eye. "She's not meant to be in the field anymore. I told you she had changed…she's not…" She trailed off as she noticed Gibbs suddenly appearing before both of them.

"She needed to do this Abs." Gibbs said. "She had to put her demons to rest. She had to finish what she started."

"You should have had her back." Abby stated to Gibbs, before getting up, to go searching for a doctor to find out about Ziva's condition.

"Wow! I've never heard Abby talk to you like that before." Tony observed.

"Yeah, a lot has changed in D.C." Gibbs agreed. "You and Ziva weren't the only ones pissed with me when the truth of why you left came out. Plus, motherhood has changed her…for the better I think."

They watched as Abby approached them again. "We can see her." She simply stated before she headed towards the curtained cubicle containing Ziva.

She pulled back the curtain, to reveal Ziva, sitting on the bed, with her right arm in a sling. Tony watched as Abby hugged Ziva, which made Ziva wince in pain in return, before Abby started lecturing her about staying safe.

"You coming?" Gibbs asked.

"No, I don't think she needs…wants to see me." Tony replied.

"Tony, you waited here for her." Gibbs stated. "You have to go in an see her."

"No, I just wanted to make sure she was okay." Tony answered. "She'll be fine with you and Abby. I might even go and relieve Arielle from guarding the suspects so she can see her."

Gibbs nodded his head solemnly before speaking. "Have you called Carmela yet?" He asked.

"What has Carmela got to do with anything?" Tony asked confused.

"Rota is a small town Tony." Gibbs pointed out. "Word would have spread about the bust…and about a federal agent getting shot. Carmela is probably worried sick yet you haven't called her to reassure her."

"Yeah, well, my mind has been elsewhere." Tony shot back.

"Yeah…on your ex-partner and ex-lover." Gibbs retorted. "It's not exactly the actions of a man completely devoted to his fiancée, is it?" He paused. "Funny how the only person you could think of was Ziva, huh?"

Gibbs walked away, towards Ziva's cubicle, leaving Tony deep in his own thoughts.

**To be continued…**

**Next chapter preview…will Kendall take McGee's job offer? Will Tony finally figure out who he loves…Carmela or Ziva? And will either of the girls actually want his love? Find out in the final chapter of…As Time Went By!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Okay, it's here...the final chapter of As Time Went By. I hope the ending lives up to your expectations and I'm sorry if it doesn't. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. I really appreciate your support and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ending so don't be afraid to review, good or bad. **

**Chapter 16**

_NCIS Headquarters…0548_

Garrett walked towards the bullpen. He yawned and stretched his body. Today had been a long day. Sorry, yesterday had been a long day. He had just finished interrogating Cooper Sampson. He had cracked pretty quickly, considering the evidence against him.

As Garrett approached the bullpen, he found Kendall sitting on the windowsill, staring out into the navy yard, and the coast in the distance. "Hey." He softly said, before softly pressing his lips onto the top of her head. "You didn't have to wait for me."

"I wanted to." Kendall replied, turning to face him.

"Did you take Chad's statement?" Garrett asked.

"Yep." Kendall replied. She could not help but notice the look of annoyance that quickly flashed across Garrett's face, before quickly disappearing again. "Why did you make that face?"

"What face?" Garrett asked, acting innocent.

"That look on your face that you were annoyed with me for taking Chad's statement." Kendall replied, crossing her arms.

"I just don't like you being alone with the guy." Garrett replied. "He likes you…really likes you."

"He trusts me Gar, and right now, he needed a friendly face." Kendall shot back. "He just helped us arrest his brother, and his team mates. He's feeling like shit at the moment."

"Okay, so he stood up for his country. That's his job! Doesn't mean I have to like the guy." Garrett hissed.

"I get it…you're jealous." Kendall stated, her hand reaching up to stroke Garrett's cheek. "But you have nothing to be jealous about. So what if he likes me? There's only one guy I like and that is you, so get over it."

"Sorry." Garrett muttered, taking the hand Kendall stroked his cheek with in his. He gently tugged her arm, signalling that he wanted her to stand up. "So, will we head back to mine for a few hours sleep?"

"Actually, there is something else I have to talk to you about." Kendall replied, remaining on the windowsill.

"And what's that?" Garrett asked, hunching down before her to make eye contact. He was still holding her hand in his. "You're not pregnant are you? Because we only got together a few nights ago so…"

"No." Kendall laughed. "Although, what I need to discuss with you does affect us."

"What is it?" Garrett asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"I've been offered a job by McGee, to work on Gibbs' team in D.C." Kendall replied.

"Right." Garrett muttered, releasing her hand from his hold. "And are you taking it?"

"Well, I don't know." Kendall replied. "I wanted to discuss it with you first. I mean, working in D.C. is a dream…and I'd learn so much from Gibbs and McGee. I mean, I've learnt so much already in the space of this case. And, after I turned down the Pentagon, I never thought I'd get another shot at working in D.C."

"Of course." Garrett agreed, focusing on his feet.

"But, it's just not me I have to think about." Kendall said. "I mean, I…we have to consider what this means to us…"

"Don't!" Garrett suddenly said, cutting her off.

"Don't what?" Kendall asked.

"Don't ask me to help you decide what to do because I can't…I won't." Garrett said, looking her in the eye. "I don't want to be the guy who holds you back, but I also don't want to be the guy that pushes you away."

"So what do you want me to do?" Kendall asked, her eyes searching his eyes for answers.

"Whatever _you_ want to do, deep in your heart." Garrett answered. "Whatever you decide, I'll support it and if we need to figure things out, we will…we'll make it work. I'm not going to give up on us, wherever your career takes you."

Kendall nodded her head knowingly. She felt Garrett's fingers gently dance on her neck as he cupped her face. He gently pressed his lips against hers before pulling away, her face still in his hands. "I think you should stay in your own place." Garrett said. "You have some thinking to do."

Kendall nodded her head in response. Garrett gave her another quick kiss and walked away.

* * *

_Tony's Beach house…0611_

Tony slipped his key into the front door lock, unlocked it and pushed open the door. He walked into his home, heading straight to the kitchen. As he entered the kitchen, he found Carmela sitting at the breakfast bar, her finger tracing the rim of her coffee cup.

She was already dressed, wearing a white skirt and a red, sleeveless, button down shirt. Her long dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, her luscious thick bangs, framing her face.

"Morning." Tony muttered, tossing his keys in a bowl beside the fridge. He opened the fridge and lifted out a carton of orange juice. He lifted a glass out of a cupboard above his head began to pour himself a glass.

"Morning?" Carmela scoffed. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Carm, not now!" Tony sighed. "I had a really rough night."

"So I heard!" Carmela snapped. "My father phoned me just after 4.30am, saying he heard there was a gun fight at La Bonita's and a federal agent got shot. He phoned to check on you, only I didn't know anything that was going on, which I thought was strange because I thought you would phone me, let me know you were okay."

"It was one of my colleagues that got shot." Tony explained. "I had to go to the hospital and make sure she was okay."

"And you didn't think to phone me?" Carmela hissed.

"It's a hospital!" Tony shot back. "You can't use cell phones!"

"And they don't have pay phones?" Carmela retorted.

Tony took a deep breath and then exhaled, trying to regain control of his temper. "Look, I really didn't want to have to do this right now but I think we need to talk." He finally said.

"Too right we do!" Carmela snapped. "Because God knows this isn't working anymore!"

It was only then that Tony noticed the pink suitcase sitting beside Carmela, under the breakfast bar. "You've packed." He muttered.

"Yeah, I um…it is only some of my things." Carmela began to say, her voice becoming softer. "I'm going to move back into my fathers. I'll collect the rest of my things when you're at work."

Tony nodded his head knowingly. "It's just…" Carmela continued. "I can't live like this anymore Tony. I know it's the so-called life of a federal agent but I never really got it until this case and I don't want to live my life like this. You can but I can't."

"I understand." Tony stated softly. "And I'm sorry but I can't change who I am."

"I get it." Carmela said. "It's your job and you love it; but you've been so up and down lately, I even thought for a moment that you were in love with someone else." She softly laughed at the suggestion, until she caught the look of guilt in his eyes. "Oh." She hung her head.

"Carmela…" Tony began but the shaking of Carmela's head cut him off.

"I just want to get through this with as little mess as possible." She said, finally looking up, the tears glistening in her eyes. She slipped off her engagement ring and forced it into Tony's palm.

"I don't want it. You keep…" He began to say.

"No, I don't want it either." Carmela stated, refusing to take it back.

"I really am sorry Carmela." Tony said. "I really did love you."

"I know." Carmela sighed. "But sometimes love just isn't enough." She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, her lips lingering for a moment. She pulled back, lifted her suitcase and left the beach house, not looking back.

* * *

_Later that day…_

_MTAC, NCIS Headquarters_

Ziva stood in MTAC, dressed in khaki cargo pants and a simple grey, long sleeved t-shirt, concealing the dressing from her gunshot wound to her shoulder. Her right arm was in a sling. Her long dark hair was lightly curled and tossed to a left side parting.

Director Vance's face flashed up onto the screen in MTAC. "Director David." He stated, his tone professional.

"Director Vance." Ziva returned, maintaining the same tone.

Suddenly, a warm smile spread across Director Vance's lips. "Ziva, I heard about the bust." He said, his tone filled with warmth. "I did not expect you to be up and about. How is your shoulder?"

"You know me Leon, it will take more to keep me down." Ziva replied, her voice also filled with warmth.

"Yes Ziva I do." He said. "I am glad you got the result you wanted."

"Thank you but I should have gotten it sooner…we both know that." Ziva replied.

Vance nodded his head solemnly before speaking. "Jamal's death was not your fault Ziva. He was a casualty of the war. And the case, it has now been closed so his death was not in vain…either was Davidson's or Officer Eschel's."

Ziva nodded her head knowingly. "Yes, we got the result in the end." She sighed.

"The result is all that counts Ziva." Director Vance pressed. "It saved thousands of lives in your country. You should be proud of it."

"I am trying to be." Ziva replied.

"Have you talked to your father yet?" Vance asked.

"No, I am letting Hari deal with him." Ziva replied. "He will be mad at me, I was not meant to involved with the Nassifs."

"He will get over his anger…and he will be proud." Vance stated. "It got you back in the field successfully."

"No Leon." Ziva laughed, shaking her head. "I am not back in the field…and before you ask, I am not returning to NCIS."

"You wouldn't have to work with Gibbs." Vance offered.

"Leon…" Ziva quietly laughed.

"You wouldn't even need to go back in the field if you didn't want to." Vance continued. "I was thinking of creating a deputy director position. You could still be based in Europe…you could travel around our European bases, making sure all the teams were running to a high standard. It would give you more time to spend with Dinozzo."

"That will not be necessary." Ziva responded.

"I'm sorry Ziva, I thought Gibbs would try and make amends between you and Dinozzo." Vance apologised.

"He did." Ziva answered. "However, it seems he was correct to predict that we would never work. Loving me is too difficult for Tony."

"I find that hard to believe." Vance sighed. He paused. "But promise me Ziva, when you are ready, you will consider returning to NCIS…we miss you…I miss you."

"You only miss me having your back against Gibbs." Ziva teased. "And to be honest, I have resolved my bad feelings towards Gibbs so I would not be able to help your cause."

Vance laughed. "No Ziva, I miss you." He reiterated. "Please tell me you will consider a return to NCIS."

She smiled. "Leon, if I ever leave Mossad, NCIS will be my first port of call." Ziva assured him.

"Okay Ziva." Vance backed down. "Keep in touch."

"Do not worry Leon, I will be in D.C. for Abby's new arrival." She stated with a smile, which Vance returned.

"Say safe Director David." He stated, his professional tone returning.

"You too Director Vance." Ziva replied, matching his tone again. Director Vance signed off.

* * *

_The next day…Navy Airbase, Rota, Spain…0856_

When Tony arrived at the airbase, he found Gibbs, Abby, McGee, Tabitha, Arielle, Hari, Milo, Kendall and Garrett were already there. They had splintered into groups, saying their goodbyes.

Arielle was busy hugging and kissing Tabitha, while Hari looked on, embarrassed; Milo was thanking Abby for all her help and knowledge; Kendall was deep in conversation with McGee, as Garrett looked on; only Gibbs was by himself.

Tony approached him. "Tony, you came to see us off." Gibbs said, his voice filled with surprise.

"Of course I came." Tony replied. "I couldn't let McGee, Abby and Tabitha leave without saying goodbye." Tony watched Gibbs' expression of surprise and a little hope change, to disappointment and hurt. "I also wanted to say goodbye to you."

The flash of hope appeared in Gibbs' eyes again. "I am sorry Tony, for everything." Gibbs said, his eyes filled with remorse.

"Don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness." Tony quietly laughed.

"But it's an apology that you are owed." Gibbs replied. "Tony, I was wrong about you and Ziva…"

"Gibbs, you learned from your mistake and look what happened…" Tony stated, nodding his head in the direction of Abby, McGee and Tabitha, who were now standing together, saying goodbye to everyone. Gibbs followed his gaze. "You created a family."

Gibbs nodded his head before looking Tony in the eye. "Come back to D.C. Tony." He simply said.

Tony gave a small laugh before answering. "Gibbs, I'm a Team Leader now, I took a step back once before, I'm not taking it again." Tony answered. "But thank you for the offer."

Gibbs nodded his head but he stretched out his hand, offering it to Tony to shake. Tony paused for a few moments before taking it. "I'm proud of you Tony." Gibbs softly said before leaning into his ear, still holding Tony's hand in his. "Don't let Ziver go this time. Fight for her."

He walked away before Tony could respond. He was about to call back to Gibbs when McGee, Abby and Tabitha appeared before him.

"Tony, you actually came to say goodbye." Abby said, embracing him in a hug.

"Why is everyone so surprised?" Tony laughed.

"Maybe because you didn't say goodbye before you left for Rota." Abby replied, before seeing the hurt flash across Tony's eyes. "Sorry, that's the past…we should be looking into the future."

"Yes, and I promise, this time, I will stay in touch." Tony stated.

"You better." Abby laughed, before giving him one last hug. "Goodbye Tony."

"Bye Abs." He softly said as he watched her waddle towards the plane, leaving McGee, with Tabitha in his arms.

Tony's looked at Tabitha and gentle ruffled her hair. "Look after your mum and dad for me kiddo." Tabitha said nothing; she just looked at him, confused. Tony quietly laughed, before his eyes fell on Ziva's necklace, that was proudly wore by Tabitha.

He quickly scanned the airbase, realising he had not seen Ziva yet. "She isn't coming Tony." McGee stated, as if reading his mind. Tony looked back at McGee. "She came by last night to say her goodbyes."

Tony nodded his head knowingly before he met McGee's eyes again. "Look after them McGoo." He stated, referring to Abby, Tabitha and Gibbs.

"Will do." McGee replied, using his free hand to shake Tony's hands. He turned his attention to Tabitha. "Say bye bye to uncle Tony, Tabs."

"Buh…bye oh-knee." Tabitha said, waving her arm.

Tony laughed. "Bye bye." He softly said, then watched McGee and Tabitha board the plane, after Gibbs and Abby.

Tony stood there, watching the plane doors close; his team quickly disappearing from the airfield, making their way back to their cars; but Tony stayed there, until the plane flew away.

* * *

"So…"Garrett said, trying to keep his voice sounding casual as he slipped his arm around Kendall's waist as they walked towards his car. "What did you say to McGee? Are you going to hand in your notice? Am I going to have to start saving my money for monthly visits to D.C.?"

"Um, I told McGee thanks but no thanks." Kendall replied. "I'm happy here in Rota."

Garrett stopped walking and turned to face Kendall. "You did?" He asked, his voice a mixture of happiness and surprise, a smile spreading across his lips.

"Yeah." Kendall replied, a smile fixed on her lips. She slipped her arms around Garrett's neck. "I hope that's okay?"

"Oh, it's more than okay." Garrett answered, pulling her close.

"Good because I hope you still feel like that when I'm competing with you for the next promotion that comes up here." Kendall teased. "Just because I'm not heading to D.C. doesn't mean I want to stay your 'probie'."

"You think you can beat me?" Garrett laughed. "Fine, let the best agent win."

"Oh she will." Kendall assured him, before crashing her lips against his.

* * *

_Ziva's hotel…the penthouse, Santa Maria, Spain…1711_

Arielle was in the penthouse, trying to pack up both her and Ziva's clothes, when someone knocking at the door interrupted her. She pulled out her gun and headed towards the door. She looked through the peephole and found Tony. She pulled open the door.

"Is Zee here?" He asked. "I really need to talk to her."

"You're too late Tony." Arielle replied. "She's already gone, she left this morning."

"Gone where?" Tony asked.

"Israel, she had something to take care of." Arielle replied.

Tony nodded his head and quickly turned to walk away.

"Tony!" Arielle called after him. He spun around to face her. "If what you need to talk to her about is going to break her heart again then don't even bother, she doesn't need it, she doesn't need you."

"Yeah but I need her." Tony answered before walking away.

* * *

_The next day…_

_The memorial garden, Israel…_

Ziva entered the garden and walked in the direction she knew only too well. She passed the rows of graves, covered with flowers and teddies, the resting place of children who never got the chance to live their life.

She was dressed in a short black skirt and a black shirt. Her long dark hair was curled and hanging down; the curls blowing in the wind.

She stopped before a small gravestone that had a gold chain with a Star of David, resting on it. Finally, her eyes rested on the name on the gravestone – Jamelia Tali David.

She hung her head and the tears began to flow from her eyes. "It is over my sweet little girl." She softly sobbed. "You can find peace with your father now."

She felt someone entangle their fingers in hers. She looked up, through the tears. "Tony." She softly whispered.

Tony was standing beside her, dressed in one of his trademark suits, his face sombre. "Your father told me where I could find you." He softly replied. He paused. "Is this your daughter?" Ziva nodded. "She has a beautiful name."

"Her father was a beautiful person, I felt it should be marked. She could not have his last name so I gave her the next best thing." Ziva quietly answered. There was silence. Finally, Ziva spoke. "Tony, why are you here?"

"For you." He simply answered.

"But do you not have a wedding to finish planning?" Ziva asked.

"The only wedding I want to be planning is ours, if you'll have me?" Tony responded.

Ziva turned to face him in shock. "Carmela…and the easy life…" She began to ramble.

"Love isn't easy Zee." Tony interrupted. "If it was, it wouldn't be so hard or special to find."

"But our problems…my father, your career, me not wanting to stay in Rota…they are not so easily fixed." Ziva stated. Her mind was whirling.

Tony gave a small smile and cupped her face in both his hands. "So we'll compromise." Tony answered. "I've already told Vance I would like to be considered for Gibbs' job when he retires and I know he's offered you a job too…so you can stay in Europe until I get back to D.C."

"You are forgetting two things…my father and my job with Mossad." Ziva pointed out.

"Your father told me where I could find you Ziva." Tony replied. "I think he'll come around to us being together…as long as that is what you want. And as for your job…it is also based in Europe. It is up to you to decide if you want to work for Mossad or NCIS."

"Tony, the last five years…" Ziva began to say before trailing off.

"I don't regret them Ziva, they had to happen to bring us to where we are today." Tony said. "But I don't want to waste another five years without you. I want to be with you Ziva. Don't you want to be with me?"

Ziva sighed and raised her hands, to take Tony's hands in hers, removing his hands from her cheeks. She continued to hold his hands in hers, as she looked him in the eye, her own eyes full of questions and doubts.

"Well, do you Ziva?" Tony asked again.

* * *

_Two years later…The beach, Rota, Spain…1508_

Tony and Garrett stood beside the minister. They were both dressed in cream suits and white shirts, only Garrett was also wearing a matching tie. "You got the rings boss?" Garrett asked.

"I got them and stop calling me boss." Tony replied. "You're the team leader now."

"Yeah, at least I'll be the boss at work." Garrett sighed.

"Yes because you certainly won't be at home." Tony agreed, laughing.

"Look who's talking?" Garrett shot back. "Listen Tony, I just want to say…thanks for coming back from D.C. to be here."

"Finley, I wouldn't be anywhere else." Tony stated.

Just then, Pachabel's Canon began to play. "Oh, looks like it's show time." Garrett muttered, before swallowing hard.

"Another one bites the dust." Tony whispered in his ear, laughing softly, doing nothing to ease Garrett's nerves.

They both turned to face the make shift aisle, along with the group of people standing on the beach, including McGee, Abby and their new son Jethro, or 'Jet' for short. McGee was mentally taking notes; the scene was perfect for his next book in the series of 'The Adventures of Agents Barrett and Mendel', based on Garrett and Kendall.

Hari and Arielle were not there. They were both involved in a mysterious undercover op for Mossad. Gibbs was also not there. He had retired a few months ago and was now in Mexico, refusing to answer his phone. He was retired for good this time. Milo however, also stood in the group, his eyes staring wistfully out onto the waves, wondering how long he'd have to stay in his suit before he could catch some surf.

Slowly, Ziva stepped out into the makeshift aisle, a hand tied bunch of tulips in one hand while her other hand guided little Tabitha down the aisle. She was dressed in an olive green, strapless prom-style dress that was cut just above her knee. Her long dark hair was pinned up, with a few curls, hanging down, framing her face. Tabitha worn a matching olive green party dress and carried a basket of tulip flower petals.

As Ziva walked down the aisle, the sun caught the glistening diamond on her left ring finger, illuminating the matching platinum wedding band, resting beside it. Her eyes found Tony's and she smiled, the memories of their own wedding a year ago still fresh in her mind.

After that day in the graveyard, two years ago, Ziva had decided to give Tony another chance and they began dating again. Ziva remained working for Mossad, as the Director of European Affairs and she based herself in Rota. Within three months they were living together, six months after that they were engaged, and three months later, they were married, in Israeli. When Gibbs finally retired a few months ago, Tony moved back to D.C., as the new team leader and Ziva returned to NCIS as a field agent.

Just as she reached the makeshift altar, the Wedding march began to play. All focus returned to the back of the make shift aisle as Kendall made her entrance. There were gasps of how beautiful she looked from everyone as she made her way down the aisle, towards her husband to be.

She was dressed in a white halter neck bodice, embroidered by diamantes and pearls and a simple matching long, fitted skirt that clung to her in all the right places. Her long red hair was pinned up, with a few curls framing her face.

After Kendall reached the altar, the service moved quickly, although Tony and Ziva did not notice. They had spent the whole service looking into each other's eyes, their minds and hearts renewing their vows as Kendall and Garrett made theirs.

And as Garrett kissed his new wife to seal their marriage, Tony mouthed three simple words to Ziva "I love you", which Ziva returned, the love clearly shining in both their eyes.

**The End!**

**Okay, okay…I know the ending wasn't the best. In fact, it was quite cheesy when you look back at all the angst but I thought it was the best way to tie in what happened all the characters.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this fic and a special thanks to all those who also took the time to write reviews. You're the reason this fic got finished; I hope you are happy with the ending.**

**And enjoy season 7 while I continue to watch season 6 here in Northern Ireland. **


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